Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-12-24

letter expressing thanks for the CO.
operation given him by the legisla-
tive branch.
Never in all the history of the
world has any legislative body APP
propriated and authorized such huge
sums, They total 215,000 million dol
lars, which is practically go per cent
of the assessed valuation of the whole
country, including factories; farms
and farm equipment and livestock;
city homes; hotels; railroads; utilities
and all other tangible and intangible
wealth. My readers will agree that
the preservation, of democracy and
freedom is worth any price. They
will also agree that expenditures of
all kinds must be kept to the lowest
possible level consistent with win
ming the war, and efficient govern
ment. Our people do not mind MAX
ing sacrifices when they know the
money that is being spent is judi
ciously expended and necessary.
Enlistment Ban Eased.
In a move to fill the manpower
needs of the Navy, Marine Corps and
Coast Guard the War Manpower
commission last week issued an order
authorizing local draft boards to ac-
cept volunteers for the three service
branches until February l. Under
the arrangement, which is temporary,
draft boards will get credit under
their quotas fori such enlistments.
Those wishing to- enlist will be
required to go to their local draft
board, obtain the boards approval,
and fill out certain forms which must
be presented to recruiting station.
Men who have already received
notice to report for induction into
the army are barred from enlisting
in the other services.
President Stands Pat.
At a press conference last week,
President Roosevelt indicated that he
is standing pat on an army of 71z
million men by the end of 1943,
despite criticism that such force
would be too large. At the same
time he took occasion to criticize
several Democratic Senators who
have expressed the opinion that an
army of that size is not only un-
necessary but far too large to equip
and maintain in the field if we are to
be of any help to the associate ma
tons. Indirectly he also referred to
the testimony given by Pierre Cot,
French Minister for Air from 1886
to 1888 who recently testified before
a Joint session of the Senate and
House Military subcommittee. Cot
said that France had erred in build
ing ga huge army rather than small,
highly mechanical one" eve mo-
bilized too many men in our army
and not enough in our factories"
Cot said.
President Roosevelt likes to do
things on grand scale. He wants
the biggest of everything and he
doesn't propose to take second place
when it comes to spending. 1 will
repeat what 1 have said before in
my weekly letters, that we should
center our activities on the produc-
ton of war materials and let the
British Empire, Russia, and China
furnish the fighting forces. These
three powers could easily put an
army of 80 million men into the field
if they had had the equipment but,
no, we must not only furnish the
equipment for the United Nations but
it also looks as though we will have
to furnish the lions share of the
troops and in order to do that it will
be necessary for us to continue to
take men from our farms and fac
tories. To many that program does
not add up.
Uncle Sam Balls 'em Out.
Back in the boom days when times
were good and money plentiful, a
group of Chicagoans put up large
hotel containing 5000 or more rooms
which they named the Stevens hotel.
The project was a while elephant
from the start and underwent several
reorganizations. Repeal of prohibit
ton helped the situation somewhat
but the undertaking was never pro-
fitable.
Last week the Roosevelt admins
tration very obligingly went in and
took the property off the owners
hands for six million dollars. It is
To ha Ilcad h,, &ho War danarfmanf