Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-08-01

DEFEll6E 'NClDENTg

WashiAgtsa. D. G.
DEFEN6E 'NClDENTg
Out Of - major incidents Of dam
age" IN defense plants last month,
military intelligence authorities
! have evidence that II were caused
by sabotage. The other II were &C
cidents.
OF the II sabotage cases. four
were fires and 10 were mechanical
damage. Two are attributed 10
Communists; the others to Nad
agents. There II no indication that
Communists and Naxis worked to-
gether.
Since the outbreak Of the Russo
German war, the Communist party
line has somersaulted. The current
dictum Is, no intereference with de-
tense output. It II significant that
since the Nazi attack On the Soviets
there has been . sharp decline In
strikes.
However. intelligence agents re-
port that the party has made no
change in its policy Of propaganda
ing soldiers and sailors. This Is be-
ing pushed n vigorously as before,
although with little success. In fact,
party generals are 20 dissatisfied
with results that they recently or
dered labor unions dominated by
Communists to help their campaign
by offering their halls as soldier rec
reation centers.
japanese Consulates.
Another significant development
In subversive influences relates to
the Japanese.
Since the expulsion of the Nazi
and Italian consulates, intelligence
officers have found that the Japa-
nese consulates in Los Angeles and
Seattle have become the chief clear
ing houses for espionage on the West
coast. Japanese residents are send
ing in a constant stream Of reports
on airplane production, ship move
ments and other military Informal
ton.
The recent arrest of two Japanese
spies in Los Angeles caused a furry
in Japanese quarters, and a num-
Der Of Japanese rushed to Wash
ington, apparently to place them
selves under the protection of their
embassy. Others hotfooted for Mex
leo, which may mean they are PLAN
ming to shift spy headquarters 70
Mexico City.
SECRET NEW AAA GEAR
American Farm bureau and Ma
tional Grange moguls are smart pol
iticians. Although their bill to Gre
ate an independent, five-man board
to rule the AAA has not yet seen
the light Of day on Capitol Hill,
they are already greasing the way
by canny wooing Of possible oppo-
nents.
Latest to be ''propositioned" IL
Rudolph ("Spike") Evans, ambi-
tious head of the AAA, who might
be a vigorous foe of their scheme
to gain control of his own agency.
The farm leaders have sent word to
Evans that they will back him for
chairman Of their proposed board If
he will 60 along with them.
An inner group Of II decided on
this move at secret pow-wow dur
ing the recent conference in Chi
cago Of the Farm bureau, Grange
and National Coop council on the
defense emergency.
The master minds also accepted
Walter Randolph Of Alabama as the
Farm bureaus selection on the
boards, pledged themselves to take
wtomever the Grange picked, and
agreed to allow this hand-picked trio
to name the other two board men,
bers.
The plan is very pat, but the mys-
terry is where Roosevelt and Secre-
tary Claude Wickard fit into the
picture. Under the law the Presi-
dent appoints board members, and
on agricultural selections he natur-
ally would consult Wickard. Appar-
emily, the Grange and Farm bureau
manipulators propose to do the pick
ing and force Roosevelt and Wick
ard to 60 along.
No Chance.
Actually, the five man board
scheme has no chance of getting
anywhere this year.
Not yet even introduced, it faces
such long battle when it does ap-
pear that months will elapse before
it goes through the committee proc
ess. Further, there are indications
that certain Farm bureau moguls
privately don't want the legislation
considered at all this session.
According to Farm bureau insid-
ers, Earl Smith, Illinois big-gun,
and Francis johnson, Iowa chief,
secretly want to make it 4 political
issue in next years congressional
election. Militant New Deal foes,
they are said to believe that lot
Of COP campaign hay can be made
in the rural districts by raising the
cry of "give the farmer control Of
the AAA"
How much control he would have
Il shown by the fact that the boys
already have made sure that they
would do the controlling.