davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-08-18
The Great Game of Politics
Senote Committee at Lost CoIIs Halt
To Unlimited and Unexplained Spending

not be stopped short Of the terrible
and inevitable bump at the bottom
of the hill.
And then, suddenly, last week the
Senate Appropriations Committee,
by unanimous vote, but $3.50, ,o0o,-
900 out of the administrations first
supplemental defense appropriation
bill for the new fiscal year. Part
of the cut was, to be sure, restored
later on. The Senate itself accepted
the committees reduction, but an
appeal by the Secretary of War
while the bill was in conference re-
suited in an agreement to put back
$3.50, 900. Even with this restora-
ton, however, the final bill was some
$500 900 900 below the original re-
quest. The full significance of this
seems not to have been grasped.
It is the first time that any big
defense appropriation has 50 much
as been questioned. 1t is the first
time an appropriation committee has
failed promptly to approve a presi-
dental request made in the name
of defense. It is the first slash made
in q major defense request for either
Army or Navy.
Seems TO Be . Limit.
What does this mean7 1t seems
to mean that there is limit be-
yond which blind compliance viii
not be carried. 1t seems to mean
that . sense Of responsibility is
about to be regained and that the
rubber-stamp days for defense ap-
propriations are over. The grounds
upon which the cut was made were
that the Army had lost all sense
Of proportion-that, taking advan.
tage Of the situation, 1t was asking
for fantastic sums for unneeded
purposes. This may or may not
be true, but 1t Is fine thing to
have q Senate committee call q
halt and compel the Army, the
Navy and the President to justify
their requests for these enormous
sums, made on the heels Of other
enormous sums, made on the heels
OF other enormous sums already
granted. No doubt it Is a tempta-
ton to the Army and Navy bureau.
Gratis to grab all they can while
the grabbing is good, but it is GER
tainly in the national interests
to scrutinize these demands and
question their necessity.
Unquestioning acquiescence is a
silly thing to continue indefinitely.
It is gratifying that as important
. part Of the legislative machinery
rs the Senate Appropriations Com
mittee has 50 self-respectingly said
20. No intelligent person wants the
defense effort cramped for lack of
funds. No reasonable man expects
all these billions to be spent in
unavoidable haste without great
waste. Nevertheless, the waste in
Army construction and in the de-
fense organization is beyond reA-
son and without excuse.
The Appropriations Committee
did . fine thing in calling q halt.
1t will be worth while If the only
effect is to force the President and
the departments to justify their re-
quests instead Of assuming that all
they have to do Is to make them.
1t would be finer still If, with the
same ruthlessness, the committee
Evening star., 1941-08-18

other wars. In this war every
one had to be a soldier. The r.
A. F. and sailors on the sea, the
Home Guard and Territorials
were not the only defenders. This
war had to be won In every street.
1t had to be won not only for
Britain, but for the Norwegians
and French and Czechs and
Poles and Dutch.
Miss Briggs felt very deeply
about the Dutch. When she was
young she had been a companion
to lady in The Hague and re-
membered romantically the little
houses with their polished knock
ers, the clear canals and the tulip
fields.
She saw the Nazis walking
over the tulip fields.
The lady said even housewives
could help when the blitz came.
Morale was very important. To
be sure there were firefighters
and wardens, mobile canteen and
ambulance drivers, but some
housewife in every block could do
her bit. She ought to know every
one in the block who was Ill or
who had children who would
likely forget to use sand and
water for incendiary bombs, and
as soon as the siren sounded be
ready to help the infirm to shell
tiers and give those suffering
from shock cup of tea.
Volunteered for Service.
Miss Briggs thought this was q
very nice idea. Adolf Hitler had
block workers, too. but their busI-
ness was to spy on the people.
She thought it would be very nice
to help Britain and, of course,
the Dutch, by getting her neigh
bors to shelters. And If she did
say it, as she should not, there
was no one In the block who made
a better cup of tea.
Miss Briggs volunteered for her
block and the lady gave her
blue and white sign to put in a
window marked Housewives
Service" And she put it up,
rather titillated with the thought
that now she was in the service
like the soldiers and sailors and
the R. A. r., although she was
so years old and only a spinster
housewife.
When the siren sounded she
was quite excited. She went out.
Evening star., 1941-08-18

FhAhA n. hent' UdCA al t11C 4dlt
administration, Congress has never
been able to resist the demands of
the unified farm lobby.
But In many other matters the
ways of Congress are inexplicable
and unpredictable. Take the ques-
ton Of appropriations. When this
session opened last January it did
so with the President laying down
the extremely sound doctrine that
while many billions would be needed
for defense it was essential that
every non-defense expenditure be
cut. With that practically every
body. except the ultra-New Deal
group, was In accord. 1t seemed as
clear that the President should be
denied nothing needed for national
defense as that every other appro-
priation should be reduced to the
minimum.
In q crisis such as he had out
lined to the Nation. nothing else
made sense. Yet, the astounding
fact is that not only did Mr.. Roose-
velt run counter to his own recon-
mendation, but Congress made no
single serious move in that direc-
ton. On the contrary, while the
latter enthusiastically complied with
the tremendous defense demands,
at the same time it cravenIy yielded
to farm, labor and other pressure
groups, so that the normal non
defense expenditures for this and
the next fiscal year are greatly in
creased instead Of greatly reduced.
For this there was some excuse for
Congress-though not much. In
addition to having no White House
leadership. it had the very bad
example of . President whose acts
nullified his words.
Refused to Retrench.
To those who have been concerned
over the increasing unsteadiness of
the Federal financial structure, as
year by year debt and deficit piled
higher and grew deeper, the situa-
ton hardly could have been worse.
Recognizing the unintelligence of
stinting (and not desiring to stint)
defense funds, they were appalled,
first, by the refusal of both Con-
gress and the Executive to retrench
in the obvious and indicated direc-
tions; second, by the inadequacy
and unsoundness of the tax pro-
gram. With all restraint removed
and no brakes holding, 1t certainly
looked as though the runaway could
Evening star., 1941-08-18
Women Drows Bogus Checks

A warning against bogus travellers
checks drawn by q comely blond
woman was issued by police today
to local business establishments.
They described her as rs years old,
5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing
12o pounds, and said she had drawn
several worthless checks on the Ma
tional City Bank Of New York. She
is wanted by the Detective Bureau
on false pretenses charges.
Evening star., 1941-08-18
On the Record
The Lody Said Morale Was Importont,
So Miss Briggs Was Reody to Do Her Bit

Immediately remembering that
Mrs. Blake was pregnant and
ought to be gotten to a shelter;
and Mrs. Wallace with those
three little girls. But they were
out hurrying of.
Have you got the sand out?"
she. asked Mrs. Peterson, and
Mrs. Peterson said she had. Then
Miss Briggs thought of Mrs.
Hinckley. who had an injured
leg and could not move without
two men to carry her.
Men on Fire Service.
Dear me, she thought, who will
carry Mrs. Hinckley to the
shelter? 1t must have been that
the men were on fire service or
night shifts In the factory for
there was no man In sight to
carry Mrs. Hinckley.
Miss Briggs went into Mrs.
Hinckley's house and upstairs.
1.-The siren is sounding" she
said, and ! thought I would
step In and sit with you"
IT'S bad being alone when
they come" said Mrs. Hinckley.
isn't that the TRUTH" said
Miss Briggs. TITS all In having
company"
Bombs began to come down
with that weird, wheeling sound
they made.
Just like a bus starting, don't
you Think" said Miss Briggs.
And Mrs. Hinckley said she did.
They seem to be striking very
near" she added.
"You never can tell," said Miss
Briggs. They all seem near.
It's odd, but I've heard that how
ever far away they fall 1t always
seems they are right on top Of
you. What would you think about
a cup OF tea?"
Brewed Cup Of Tea.
Mrs. Hinckley thought q cup
of tea would be comforting, and
Miss Briggs brewed it on q spirit
lamp by Mrs. Hinckley's bedside.
IT keep it right there where I
can make it myself" said Mrs.
Hinckley. But a cup of tea alone
is a dreary thing"
II am afraid that must have
been No. 49," said Miss Briggs
as the house rocked. That's
Mrs. Blake's. but she has gone
to q shelter"
She slipped her tea. This time
the house rocked dreadfully and
all the windows fell in.
"A blast" said Miss Briggs
judicially. Nothing but q blast.
always said, dearie, nobody goes
before his time. The Lord has
all of our numbers. It's all writ
ten in the book"
She took another sip Of tea.
They recognized Miss Briggs
by her green cardigan. Her arm
was stretched across Mrs. Htnck-
ley. Her hand was all right, too.
1t had a ring on the forefinger,
an odd porcelain ring .. the
handle OF teacup.
The w. v. S. put up a tablet
to her with this inscription:
Died on duty"
released by the Bell Syndicate, Inc)
Evening star., 1941-08-18

nominal appointment since the
present minister Of war, Gen.
Huntzinger, has informed every.
body in Vichy that Darlan had
better run the navy and not poke
his nose in the affairs Of the
army.
The strong partisans of the CO.
operation with the Reich, in
Paris and unoccupied France
Admiral Darlan is among them
insist that a showdown must take
place soon to define permanently
and irrevokably Frances position
in the Axis. The Germans don't
like this uncertain situation
either. and are not hiding their
feelings. They are getting tough.
In the last few days there has
been q definite tightening up Of
regulations in occupied France.
There have been hundreds Of
arrests every day. The slightest
infraction to the rules, which
had been somewhat relaxed re-
Gently, Is punished with intern
ment In a concentration camp in
the Reich. The secret police in
unoccupied France - altogether
at the disposal Of the Reich
have been working overtime. Gen
Weygand, who has returned to
Africa, is described as one Of
the principal culprits in in
fiuencing the wavering Marshal
Petain. The chief weapon in
fiuencing Petain is the plight of
French prisoners Of war.
Prisoners Held as Threat.
In spite Of repeated Nazi prom
ises that these prisoners will be
released, there still are more
than 100000 French soldiers
in the German prison camps.
At one time last year, when it
looked As though Gen. Weygand
might join the forces Of Gen.
Wavell, the Germans informed
the vichy government that in
the event Of such . detection,
every third French prisoner OF
Evening star., 1941-08-18

s 0 l oler-PenSlon
proposal h a S
ever been per-
manently d e =
feated. Rejected
once, twice, and
o ca 81 o n a lily
three times, they
always pass in
the end. 1t Is
the same way
with farm legis-
lation. Since the
formation Of the
first farm bloc,
Evening star., 1941-08-18

where the beef
is part Of the
menu, and not
part OF the con-
versation Of the
men.
Authority for
this statement
is what I saw
and heard on a
visit to the Nor
folk naval op-
Grating b a s e.
largest and old
est of its kind in
the country.
Evening star., 1941-08-18

would seem to
be forecast as a
consequence of
the grave mis-
takes made by
the exis t ! n g
agency.
For, unless re-
pudiated by the
President, h e
la t est official
pr announcement
of the Mediation
Board may re-
suit in a new
uove of Strikes
Evening star., 1941-08-18

and all house.
wives W e re
urged to at
tend her lee
t u r e. Miss
Briggs went.
The ! a d y
wore a green
gray uniform
with a wine
colored shirt
a n d looked
very efficient
and nice. She
said this war
is ot like
Evening star., 1941-08-18
City Takes Over Transit Lines

In its plan to take over all trans
portation lines Of the city, Buenos
Aires, Argentina. discontinued 8
trolley lines and reorganized II
others last year.
Evening star., 1941-08-18
By CONSTANTINE BROWN.

BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
The Germans are apparently
not satisfied with the French
cooperation. They now say
Marshal Petain uttered many
beautiful words last week, but
contend he did nothing much
after he promised full and COM
plete cooperation. =
The fact that Admiral Darlan
has become the chief Of states
heir has brought little consola-
ton to the Berlin Foreign Once.
Darlan has been appointed min
lister of national defense, an
ONCE which comprises the navy,
the army and the air force.
But this is apparently only a
Evening star., 1941-08-18
By FRANK r. KENT.

As a rule. it is easy to forecast
congressional action about certain
things. For example, there Is the
established fact that no omnibus
Evening star., 1941-08-18
Mediation
Board Called
Partisan
Abolition Of Agency
Is Demanded
By Observer
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

Abolition of the National Defense
Mediation Board and the creation
of a tribunal that is not composed
of partisans of either labor or capital
Evening star., 1941-08-18
Technocroey MEETING

The regular weekly meeting Of
Technocracy Section r. D. 1881
will be held tomorrow at 7:30 pm.
in the Mount Pleasant Branch Pub
lie Library auditorium, Sixteenth
and Lamont streets NV.
Evening star., 1941-08-18

HE opinions OF the rtters this page ovn not
necessarily Ths STAR, Such opinions presented IN RE
readers although such opinions may contradictory among
| themselves and directly opposed to The Stars.
Evening star., 1941-08-18
.McLemore-
Army Could Use Slice
Of NuWs Morale
BY HENRY McLEMoRE.

NORFOLK, Va.-Navy morale Ii
higher than the crows nest on the
biggest battle wagon.
Here Is one branch of the service
Evening star., 1941-08-18
By DOROTHY THOMPSON.

LONDON (by Wireless) The
vicar said that Thursday after
noon a lady would come from the
Woman,s Volunteer Work Service,
Evening star., 1941-08-18

fense appropriations. Perhaps it
will. The name Of its chairman is
Carter Glass.
Imperial Valley press., 1941-04-28
Empire Army Takes
Last Big Fascist
Base in Ethiopia

LONDON. April 28. (UP)-British
Empire forces have entered Bessie
last big stronghold of the italian
forces in Ethiopia, communique
from East African headquarters said
today as the Axis forces in North
Africa renewed their pressure
against the covering troops of the
army of the Nile on the Egyptian
frontier.
A brief communique from Nairobi,
Kenya, said that empire troops had
entered bessie at pm. Saturday.
The Italians had long defended
the town, at the cost of many men
killed or made prisoner.
Its capture brought nearer the
release of thousands of hard-bittel
troops to reinforce the army OF
North Africa for the defense of
Egypt and the Suez canal.
A Cairo communique had dis
closed yesterday that the Axis forces
on the Egyptian-Libyan frontier had
crossed into Egypt at several points
near Sollum Saturday evening.
Our light mobile forces remain
ed in contact with the enemy, har-
assing its advance" said the Cairo
communique.
Well informed sources at Cairo
said two Axis columns, mostly Ital-
ians, were in the Sollum area, prob
ably within Is miles of the sea.
Imperial Valley press., 1941-04-28
Quick Blow Due
In Mediterranean

BERLIN. April %. cUP)-Ger-
many will not stop at halfway
measures" in the Mediterranean
war zone and is determined to
destroy completely Britain's posi-
ton and power there" informed
Nazi quarters said today.
The Balkan campaign will not be
followed By military pause as
was the case in the Polish and
western campaigns, military quar-
ers said, indicating Germany Is
planning new blows in the Medit-
erranean war theater.
Germany attaches the same i'm
portance to the war in the Mediter-
ranean as it does to the battle OF
the British Isles, they asserted.
Military and political circles spoke
of war to the finish without let
up as official quarters reported
that ceaseless blows by the luft-
waite and Nazi armored and para
chute troops had taken a heavy
toll of British in Greece and sunk
or damaged four British warships
and 80 other vessels over the week.
end
The Nazi air force caused vast
destruction among the British troops
and ships from Greece to Crete,
official sources reported The high
command said that German army
Imperial Valley press., 1941-04-28
By UNITED PRESS

Historic Athens was in German
hands Monday, its affairs, like
those of 13 other conquered capitals
clouded by Nazi censorship; its
fight for freedom ended just six
months from the day Italy start
ed the Greek war.
The last United Press dispatch
from Athens was received in New
York before dawn Sunday. 1t read:
German advance guard followed
Ey mechanlZed units entGred
Athens at 10 am, hosting the
swastika on tie Acropolis'. That
was. the. text of a German high
command communique issued a
short time later in Berlin.
Thereafter radio listening posts
in New York and London waited in
vain throughout the day and night
for the Athens stations customary
English language broadcasts. Moth
ing was heard except at Budapest
where the Athens radio was heard
Sunday evening proadcasting in
German and Greek, dispatches Of
the official German news agency,
and playing German military
marches.
The last Athens dispatches be-
fore the German occupation had
told Of a people waiting with
quiet dignity" for the invaders
to enter the city where Scion laid
Gown the first principles Of de-
mocracy in 594 BIC. and where
statesmen 2300 years ago organized
the Delphic Amphictyony, an as
sociation of Greek communities
pledged TO protect the Hellenic
shrines and mitigate the brutalities
of war.
Nikos KyriakiGis, United Press
correspondent at Athens, had mes
saged Saturday night that the peo-
pie had gone indoors, closing their
shutters against the beautiful At
tican spring" fearing that every
noise outside-even the rustling of
the wind-meant the presence Of
German troops. A curfew was in ef-
feet and the narrow. serpentine
streets, where Socrates once walk
ed, were closed TO all except SEN
tinels
Although their capital and most
Imperial Valley press., 1941-04-28
Restored indian
Ruin Dedicated

FORT APACHE, April % CUP)-
The restored Kinishba ruin, rem
nant OF an Indian pueblo of 700
years ago, was officially dedicated
as state museum in simple cere-
inony here this weekend.
The rites were conducted by Dl
Byron Cummings of the University
OF Arizona, who spent nine years in
the laborious task of restoring the
pueblo abandoned sometime around
the year 1900.
The dedicatory address was de-
livered by C. Gordon Montgomery
of Whiteriver.
"Kinishba," Montgomery said,
has already become celebrated as c
magnificent ruin in a land of pre-
historic ruins. 1t has brought much
fame TO the Fort Apache Indian
reservation which would not other
wise have come"
Imperial Valley press., 1941-04-28

units were rapidly ''mopping up iii
central Greece and the PeloponneS-
us.
The high command listed these
results of attacks since Saturday:
A cruiser and a merchantmen OF
5000 tons were sunk on Sunday and
two cruisers and II merchantmen
were heavily damaged. On Satur-
day, II ships totalling $4,000 tons
were sunk in Greek waters.
A British cruiser north of Crete
and 19 other ships were damaged
by bomb hits and some of them
were regarded as destroyed. German
fighting planes destroyed a four
motored British Sunderland flying
boat at Malta harbor.
The high command said that the
luftwaffe had attacked the enemy
forces in Greece with good effect
in the area of Argos, % miles SOUTH
west of Corinth, and Tripoli, 25
miles further south and in the
center of the Peloponnesus.
THE luftwaffe delivered destruc-
tive blows in the sea area between
Piraeus tine port of Athens and
Crete, against transport, supply and
conveying ships assembled for eVac-
uation of the beaten British troops" 4"
the communique added.
Imperial Valley press., 1941-04-28
BY UNITED PRESS

John d. Rockefeller, Jr., former
Ambassador William c. Bullitt, Sen
ator Burton K. Wheeler, and former
Senator Ernest w Gibson, chair
man of the Committee to Defend
America by Aiding the Allies, head
lined the weekend debate On
Americas position in a world at
war
They were only the best known
debaters, however, for the subject
was the theme of sermons in vlr-
tually every city in the nation, ano
of hundreds of patriotic and civic
gatherings.
Rockefeller made his views known
in a letter. They were summed up
in this sentence: II would rather
die fighting the brutal, barbarous,
inhuman force represented by Hit
lerism than live in world which
is dominated by that force He
called for national unity behind
President Roosevelt and moratorium
on strikes, lock-outs, and WORK
stoppages.
WHEELER'S BLAST
Addressing a meeting OF the
Imperial Valley press., 1941-04-28
Athens Bows to
Nozi Conquerors

if not all their army was lost, the
Greeks continued the struggle
forced upon them by the Italian
invasion Oct. %, and the German
invasion April 6. The government
was at Crete, under British protec-
ton. and a series of royal DEGREES
had been published in Athens Sat-
urday in the name of the refugee
King George. appointing Pericles
Argyropoulos governor general of
the unoccupied Aegean islands,
naming Manuel Tsouderos tempo
rary war minister and placing Gen.
Alexander Papagos, chief of the
general staff. on the retired list
'at his own request.
There also was d decree freeing
all political prisoners in Crete ex-
cept those convicted of crimes
against the security of the state.
Imperial Valley press., 1941-04-28
BY j. w. T. MASON
United Press War Expert

With the battle of Greece finish
ed, Great Britain and Germany
now cen count their gains and
losses without emotional exaggera-
tons. Each has credit and debit
side.
Germany has gained primarily a
strong military position against
Turkey. German forces at the be-
ginning of the invasion of Greece
entered Greek territory close TO
the Turkish border and undoubted-
ly will remain there.
The Swastika troops are in a
position to begin a thanking move
ment against the western Turkish
army while the main attack was
keing delivered from the northwest,
BASED ON Bulgaria. Occupation of
Greek islands in the northeastern
Aegean Sea gives the Germans air
control over the exit from the
Dardanielles into the Aegean.
Turkey thus finds herself in a
difficult strategic position. Both her
army in European Turkey and the
DardanellS are more exposed than
before. 1t is possible the Turks may
become more amenaple to Germany,
though the future of Turko- Ger
man relations is likely to depend
on Russia.
SECOND GAIN
Germany's second gain is the re-
lief given to Italy. A break in Ital-
ian morale is less likely. Mussolini
Is bound closer to Germany and
tie fuehrer's control over Italv has
Eeen increased.
Germany's other gains are more
problematical. The Germans might
be able to fly two divisions to Syria
from southern Greek bases if op-
eratlons there become essential
But, the distance is more than 300
miles and an air supply line would
be difficult.
From southern Greece German
bombers might conduct raids on the
British fleet at Alexander. The dis
tance, however, is 500 5eliles: and
at any previous time in the war,
Germany could have bombed Alex
anoria from the less distant Dode-
caneSe Islands.
RUSSIA NERVOUS
The first debit in the German war
ledger because of the Balkan war
is the uneasiness caused in Russia.
However silent Stain may remain,
the new armed might of Germany
which has brushed aside Slav in
fluences in southeastern Europe,
must increase Russia's intense de-
sire for an opportunity to even the
scoore.
The second debit is the fact that
Germany had to wage war at all
the Balkans. Instead of a welcome
TO the Nazi way of life, half the
Balkans now bear bitter resent
ments against Hitler which in time
will become disturbing.
The third debit is the Interrupt
ton of German supplies from
southeastern Europe. The rayage