The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-04-11
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Washington, d. C.


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SABOTAGE, LABOR, EMPLOYER
Most tragic thing about the pres
ent chaotic labor situation is the
black eye which minority OF labor
is giving to their co-workers all over
the country. In the majority OF
plants and shipyards, men are work
ing without interruption.
But in certain key plants, so vital
to the national defense that they
could not have been picked by acct
dent, small minority have begged
down production. Sometimes this
happens through strikes, sometimes
through slowing-up and sabotage so
deliberate that behind it must Turk
a definite attempt by Communists
to hold back national defense.
While labor has been hitting the
headlines for defense obstruction,
less publicized but equally obstruc-
tive has been the attitude Of certain
business elements, among them the
shipbuilders, who dickered endlessly
with the U. S. maritime commission
regarding the construction of 200
desperately needed cargo vessels.
This program was adopted in
January, but to date the commits
sion has not been able to complete
negotiations for quite all the 200
ships.
The Bethlehem fairfield Shipyard,
Inc, of Baltimore, for instance, bat
tied the commission for two months
over fat fee.
The commission proposed $780,
600 base fee per ship, to be reduced
to $4,000 il not delivered by GER
tain deadline, or increased to $780,
600 if produced ahead of time. But
Bethlehem rejected the penalty
clause, vigorously insisting on
fixed fee regardless of when the
ships were produced.
For weeks, while the shipping
crisis daily grew more critical, the
controversy ragged. Finally, on
March 10, the company backed down
and accepted the commissions
terms.
Under them Bethlehem airield
stands to collect a total fee of
$5,500,0 900 on the 80 ships assigned
it. In addition it also garnered
$685., 900 government contract for
10 ways and other construction para
phernalia.
JULY OR ELSE FOR HITLER
No one can ever tell just what
is going on in the Kremlin, but here
is how the diplomatic dispatches ex-
plain the apparent shift Of Russia
slightly over to the British side Of
the war scale.
It is now generally agreed blythe
best U. S. military observers-and
probably also by the Russians-that
Hitler will have to win this war by
July Of this year or else face serious
consequences.
These serious consequences will
be:
/. Tremendously increased NUM-
lions and ship production by the
U. S. A. After July l, American
factories will really get into their
stride.
2. The necessity Of finding food
for Europe next winter.
8. The necessity Of finding more
oil, especially If the British succeed
in blowing up Rumanian oil wells,
which they definitely plan 10 do.
4. The necessity Of pulling new
rabbit out Of the hat to please the
German people. So far Hitler
has pulled out new victories at peri
odic intervals-Austria, Czechoslo-
valkia, Poland, Norway, the Low
Countries, France. But the rabbits
have come fewer and harder recent
". The German people are report
ed to be restless.
Only answer to these dilemmas is
Russia. The vast and fertile fields
Of the Ukraine, rich in wheat, iron
ore and lying just across from the
oil fields of the Caucasus, are sure
to beckon to Hitler.
And If he still is unable to take
England by July, It more than likely
seems that he will bite off the
Ukraine. This probability increases
II war in the Balkans disrupts the
spring planting. For one reason
why Hitler has been so patient with
Jugoslavia is because the crops Of
the Balkans are vital to Germany.
All Of which is not being lost upon
Russia.
FLOATING DEFENSE HOMES
Defense chiefs may soon inaugu-
rate mobile housing units for de-
Tense workmen on the water as well
as land, If the novel plan Of Housing
Co-ordinator Charles F. Palmer
pans out. -ee
First negotiations of this sort were
for the purchase of an excursion boat
to alleviate a serious housing short
age at Portsmouth, Va, where q
giant naval construction project In
under way. IF successful here, the
plan may be tried out at other sea-
board defense centers.
Palmer hopes eventually to have
q number of these floating hotels"