The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-06-12
Bv Staff Writer)

d-to-Britain plans are still kept
secret by the President in order
to keep Hitler guessing, there are
certain major revelations about
our national policy which have
been made recently. They include;
/. The use of conveys is not con-
templated for the immediate fu-
ture, the President having decd
ed that they are outmoded and
that the system of patrols, which
we are now using, is more eftec-
tive.
2. The President does not in
tend to ask for repeal of the neu-
trality law, since at present it
does not interfere with his plans.
3. The President expects labor
and capital to stop letting dis
putes interfere with production,
but if they don't settle their prob
lens among themselves the gov
eminent will act.
4. The President has no i'm
mediate intention of using most of
the powers available to him un-
der his unlimited emergency pro-
clamation, and he has no new leg
islation in mind.
5. We will "start shooting" if
Germany and her allies attempt
to get bases, such as Dakar, the
Azores, or Greenland which the
President considers might be used
for an attack on the Americas.
6. We will probably not start
shooting unless Germany pro-
vokes us to do so by attempts to
get bases in our hemisphere or by
attacks on our navy patrols.
z. Passage of the ship-seizure
bill, insuring the U. S. permanent
acquisition of Axis ships taken in
to custody, is considered as test
of Nazi threats to start hostilities.
A new surge of effort to in
crease the speed of production of
defense equipment has been clear
ly evident since the Presidents
declaration of an unlimited en-
Urgency, partly because of the
Presidents appeal and partly be-
cause we have now entered upon
our second year Of defense prod
uction with new and much larger
goals to attain.>
Outlining the job ahead, John
D. Biggers, production director of
the Office of Production Manage
ment. said the new goals for the
rest Of the year include doubling
of present airplane production,
ouadrupling tank production,
trebling powder production ana
increasing five-fold the produc-
ton rate of machine guns.
To do this, it is evident to all
OPM officials that strikes must
not be allowed to halt production
Thew have been encouraged by
the recent Fortune poll showing
that the majority of the labor ar
nv of the U. S. is almost as
strongly opposed to strikes in de-
tense industries as is the non-la-
Dor population.
With both congressman and the
administration vitality interested
in the trends of public opinion on
the great issues before us, polls
such as Fortunes and the Gallup
polls are studied closely here.
Many congressman were encour-
aged by a recent Gallup poll
which showed that aidto-Britain
and war as last resort is favored
lust as much by families Of boys
in the military training camps as
by the people who are not called
upon to make such personal sac
rifices. Sixty-eight per cent OF
those families who have men serv-
ing in the army or expect to, said
that they would favor this country
going to war if it appeared GER
tain that there was no other way
to defeat Germany and Italy.
President Roosevelt has ordered
a second registration day under
the selective service act for July
l. when all those who have reach
ed the age of 81 by that day, but
who were under age on the first
registration day, will be required
to register. These men, however,
will not be rushed into training,
since present plans call for their
being put at the bottom of the
list.
It is believed that there are ap-
proximately 100000 young men
who have come of age since the
last registration.
Fifth column and anti-American
activities took the limelight here
when Jan Valtin, author of the
best-seller "Out of the Night"
which purports to give inside in
formation on activities of the
Communists and the German
Gestapo, with both of which he
admits formerly having been as