Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1941-07-03
WASHINGTON NEWS AND VIEWS
by
Congressman Bob Secrest
Released by
Ohio Editorial News Service
Panama Highway


Isthmus of Panama at the Canal
Zone will be completed next spring.
1000 men are working on it. 1t
will connect Colon on the Atlantic
side of the Canal, with Panama on
the Pacific side. The construction
is under the supervision of the Pub
lie Roads Administration of the
Federal Works Agency. At the Pa
cific side, the Trans-Isthmian Road
will intersect with the proposed
Pan-American Highway from the
United States to South America
Between Texas and the Canal, the
Pan-American Route now includes
approximately 1,775 miles of paved
and all-weather road, $50 miles OF
dry-weather road, and S25 miles of
cart and food trails.
The new road will be valuable
for the defense Of the canal and en-
able quicker repairs should it ever
be bombed.
At present, the only transporta-
tion across the Isthmus is the canal
and one railroad Electric-light
plants have been installed SO that
part of the work can be kept on a
"a hour basis. The fifty mile con-
crete highway, twenty-four feet in
width, is another hurry up" step
in our long road to complete pre-
paredness.
Worry Ahead
Few people give Russia any
chance to repulse the German at
tack. Most authorities believe Hit
L., IN, in, nv hn
does, he will inherit the vast grain
crop of the Ukraine, as well as the
great stores Of oil, tanks, planes,
and other military equipment hoard
ed by Russia for 20 years. In addi-
ton, he will have countless millions
of Russians who can work, even if
they fail miserably as fighters.
England's hope of ever starving
Germany, as was done in the last
war, will be finally and hopelessiy
gone. Hitler will have complete
domination over more than 400,-
100000 people who for years have
been trained to devote every en-
ergy to war production, and, what
toned to living under war time
economy.
The Russian war gives the United
States a little more much needed
time to bolster defenses. The con-
stant threat of the greatest military
machine in the history of the world
will compel use of every resource in
the nation and change in many
ways the usual life of the American
people.
Already the government has TAX
en- over complete control of many
to assure supply for
defense industries. These include
aluminium, nickel, borax, cork, cop
per and zinc. The manufacturers
of machine tools, electric cranes.
of any material they want. Other
defense industries get preference on
orders AS long as there is any left,
factories share the bal
ance The probable effect of the
defense program is found in a
speech of Mr.. Nehemkis, Special AS
sistant to the Defense Contracts
Service. Said he, ALREADY not less
than ten entire industries, whose
have been either drasti-
cally curtailed or completely shut
off, must either close down or enter
a new line of production. Indeed
before the end OF this summer, we
may expect to find one-third of
industry faced with the
grim reality of guns versus but
ter and as the tempo of the war
time economy gains momentum, you
may expect to find, for a time, not
less but more unemployment; not
less but more idle machines"
The hope of small industry is to
switch to defense production and
fight for at least sub-contracts.
To achieve defense, and maintain
it, will require taxes not now
dreamed of, especially if Hitler
his conquest of Russia
His proximity to Japan will then re-
duce that country to the status of
Italy, pure vassal state of Ger
many, compelled to take orders and
fight If, when, and where the
Fuerer dictates.
The people of the United States
must tighten their belts and make
the factories hum.
England Prepares
Many people wonder why Eng