The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-05-23
,DaijAlyaqaa,
Washington, ID. G.
SHIP PREMIUMS no JAPAN


plan of the ship.
Thus, despite all the censorship Of
Secretary Of the Navy Knox, Ger
many has had an easy means of
knowing all about every, ship that
leaves the United States.
This is accomplished when Amer
lean insurance companies, because
Of the heavy risk involved in insur-
ing a cargo in wartime, reinsure
with various foreign companies. In
other words, they sell part Of the
policy abroad, thus distribute the
risk. That is how Japan makes a
lush profit on insuring American
vessels, even vessels owned by the
u. S. A.
Last year congress passed law
providing war risk insurance for
U. S. shipping, but the maritime
commission, for reasons best known
to itself, has declined to take adj
vantage Of the law. Commission
members state quite frankly that
they wanted to throw the business to
private insurance concerns-as long
as private insurance was available.
DEBATE FREEZING AXIS FUNDS
One of the most vigorous inner
cabinet debates in long time con-
cerned the question of freezing
German-Italian funds on deposit in
the United States. In heated dis
cussion, Secretary of State Hull and
Secretary of Commerce Jesse Jones
were the only cabinet members who
stood out for letting the two Axis
powers continue to spend money as
they wished in this country.
Many people may not realize it,
but whereas the government has
frozen the funds of all the conquered
nations = France, Norway, Den
mark, Belgium, Holland, Greece,
etc.-it continues to permit the con-
quering nations to use their money
in the U. S. A. in any manner they
wish.
For instance, Germany gets more
than a million dollars monthly from
the lease of patents to American
companies. This is paid in Amer
lean dollars and can be spent for
anti-American propaganda or any,
thing else, or shipped back to Ger
many. Italian diplomatic attaches,
for instance, were found carrying
$2,000,0 900 in U. S. currency in a
suitcase from New Orleans to Mex
leo for propaganda purposes. An
other $4,000 of U. S. currency
was shipped to Buenos Aires by the
Italian embassy.
Meanwhile, France, for example,
no longer sells perfume, etc., to
the United States, but sells to Ger
many, which in turn ships the per-
fume through Vladivostok to the
United States. Reason is that
French funds are frozen, so the
French can get no money from the
U. S. A. But German funds are not
frozen, so French trade to the
United States now increases Nazi
profits and helps build up trade
channels for the future.
STREAMLINED FOODS
Because of the acute shipping
shortage, food items for shipment
to Britain are being selected for high
vitamin and calorie content, also for
minimum bulk and weight.
In general, preference will be CIV
en- to concentrated and dried foods,
rather than bulky canned goods
such as fruits, which contain con-
siderable amount of water. Toma-
toes are an exception because the
juice they are packed in is high
in vitamins.
One item urgently desired by the
British is dehydrated vegetable
soup, IL tons Of which will make
zoo, 900 bowls. IA
A plan is under consideration to
transport some Of this concentrated
food in the big bombers being fer
ried across the Atlantic, which can
easily carry 12-ton load.
The $400, 000, 900 that has been al
located for the food-aid program will
be used to buy $4,000, 600 cases Of
canned tomatoes, 10000, 900 cases Of
evaporated milk, 100000 pounds
of lard, Csc, 000, 900 pounds Of cheese,
several million pounds Of Wiltshire
cured ham, millions Of powdered
eggs, and thousands of tons of de-
hydrated vegetable soup, dried raj
sins and prunes.
While gigantic in itself, the pro-
gram is only about 3 per cent of
the u. S. food bill, which in 1910
was $12,00O,0OO,00O.
MERRY-GO-ROUND
The Nelson Rockefeller committee
for cultural relations with South
America wasn't at all keen about
the Douglas Fairbanks goodwill pill
grimage. They resented Franklin
Roosevelt Jr., close friend of Fair
banks, putting this one over with
his father while they weren't look
ing.
Mayor LaGuardia declined with
thanks FDR's request that he head
the new Civil Defense Commits
sion, indicating to the Boss that he
wants cabinet job or nothing.