The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-05-15
ny RAY TUCKER

IN KAY ittNrh
WASHINGTON - Private re-
ports received in New York
steamship circles state that
Cape Town wants an A. Z. F.
because of local agitation about
Japanese threats 10 South
Africa. Enemy naval units
roaming the Indian ocean. the
fighting in Madagascar. and
battles in Lbys have led to q
realization in Pretoria that the
war has arrived at its front
door
Advocates of the dispatch OF
strong L. s. attachments urge
that we extend the same pro-
lection which we gave Aus
trala. The Union has excellent
harbors which are stepping
stones in the route 10 our big
depot in Eritres. Reserves are
much safer away from the fight
ing lines. Springbokland can be
transformed into a huge allied
base from which soldiers and
equipment may be shifted wher-
ever most urgently needed. II
is entirely feasible TO build and
train a reservoir Of man power
10 be sent to trouble spots.
Establishment of zone can
help open Rand resources for the
war effort but il involves set
ting up shipping, repair and re-
fueling centers in Port Elizabeth.
Durham. Cape Town. etc. The
drawback TO such plans is that
our stores would be spread still
thinner and much highly essen
tisl material diverted from
other sectors. With her own
troops on many fsr-flung con-
tinental fields, South Africa is
crying for protection from Uncle
Sam.
Official announcement that
the United States will recruit
an army of six million sounds
very large to people in this up
to-now unmilitaristic land
But the figure is less than five
per cent Of our population.
Smaller belligerents have mus
tered as many as 10 per cent.
Exceedingly we'll informed Swiss
sources have informed New York
banks that the Nazis have II
million in their armed forces.
Fifteen per cent is an enormous
figure for a nation of so million
in addition to modelling men to
keep the vital transportation and
industrial system working.
BY comparison our own totals
are modest indeed. At Ger
many's rate we would have 1e
million men in uniform. But
what we lack in soldiers we will
make up in labor. Since we
manufacture weapons for all of
the United Nations, we need
more workers at factory benches
than do other countries.
Leon Henderson is facing an
other tough political struggle.
Farm leaders are enrsged at his
adamant attitude toward in
creases in the price Of the things
they raise. One Of the most irri-
tsted lawmakers is mild sena-
tor Guy NJ. Gillette ID. Ia
Unless the overseer of what we
pay. for everything changes his
tune, he will be subjected 10 an
intensive verbal Smelling on the
floor OF the legislature and
some of his power may be
stripped from him.
Recently a delegation from
Texan citrus orchards visited
Leon and told him they could no
longer operate II he insisted on
keeping the ceilings he had es-
tsolished on their output. The
fruit growers stormed out OF the
office with purple faces after
they had been told bluntly that
not a thing could be done for
them. The names that they ap-
Piled 70 the cigar smoking econ
omist we're not flsttering.
The net result 10 that grape
fruit and orange juice may not
be canned in the Lone Star state
this year. Producers claim that
labor costs make packaging of
the vitamin-rich energy builders
prohinitiveiy high unless the re-
tail prices are upped. Time was
when the managers paid only
one dollar and a quarter q day
Tor help-s sum which they
admit was too low-but now the
minimum Is fifty cents an hour
or an average Of four dollars a
Gay. They contend that under
these circumstances they cannot
compete with Floridans who can
ship more cheaply 10 the lush
markets on the eastern seaboard.