The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-02-11
Listening
Post
Berlin srsin TrusS
esdly Out-Smsried
Nemesis OF Rommel
A U. S. Cresiion
Not All Serene On
The Farm Front
Conflicting Opinions
Worry Wieksrd
BY ALBERT IEMAN

cause he picked the wrong wesp.
on. Then he made the colossal
mistake of jumping on US. the
one nation in the world best able
to make and use il. This key de-
vice is the internal combustion
engine, around which a plane or
tank is built.
Long before 1889 the Wehr-
macht warmongers rejected con-
venuonal srms-battleships. over
whelming artillery. mass armies
--hemmed in as they were by the
winners Of 1918 and matched in
those categories. Secretly at
first and then swiftly they gath
cred equipment and later staged
the blitzkriegs of flying machines
and mechanical vehicles which
swept everything before them
from Poland to Moscow.
The Fuehrer foolishly tack
led Us. He should have rea-
hzed that gasoline motors are
our speciality. We build more
of them than all other coun-
tries. even In peacetime;
nearly all our boys know how
to drive a jalopy and most of
them can take one apart and
put II together again. Fur
thermore our petroleum re-
sources are fabulous.
With this background. once we
started TO tinker with Flying
Fortresses. General Shermans,
jeeps and other by-products of
machine warfare, we stepped far
ahead in the race and cannot be.
overtaken.
Probably the Berlin brain trust
conceded that we might launch
first-rate airship but 1t never
suspected that our automotive
men could outsmart its renowned
military technicians in tank CON
struction. Our factory managers
started from scratch. For ex-
ample, when they decided on
welded monster the supervisory
staff knew nothing about such
instruments of destruction; il
learned from the engineers and
then taught the foremen.
After these civilians were
organized they produced the
Sherman, the nemesis of Rom
mel. His men were caught
mapping In the desert because
this United States giant runs
nOiselessly on rubber tracks,
DOGGY wheels and hinges from
which come no sound of metal
contact. A new type steering
gear permits the chariot TO
spin around without greatly
reducing speed.
Characteristically. we went all
out on streamlining, even TO head
lights and SHELLS. We spread
thick metal over all vital parts
so that almost every projectile
that strikes 1t glanees off with
out causing damage. Only a
rare direct hit will put it out of
commission. The land battleship
packs 75-mm. cannon in a
power-operated turret which
whirls IN a complete circle. II
carries four big machine guns
and an antiaircraft weapon which
bring down dive bombers and
smash armored cars and trucks.
A battle royal flares among
agricultural su thorities from
Claude Wickard down TO his re-
hottest agency. The dispute in
wolves the question of concentrat-
ing on the farmer with good lands
and giving him first choice of
machinery, fertilizer and imported
labor, or helping the poverty
stricken submarginal tiller TO ex-
pand his limited resources. Re
moyal of certain left wingers
from the department lately indi-
Gates that the secretary swings
more toward efficiency than vel
fare projects But thunder still
roars over the distant meadows
and more lightning is expected.
Advocates who favor continu-
alton Of the Farm Security pro-
gram argue that hundreds Of
thousands of trained sewers and
reapers are eager 10 fill the ma
tional bread basket. but that they
are buried beneath debts and are
slaves to the cash crop system
which keeps them too poor 70 buy
nitrates. tractors and other tools.
Yet this class produced thirty
six per cent Of the total increase
in milk gathered by all dsirymen
in the L. S. a.
Critics say We are wasting
time, money and msnPower If we
throw away funds on barren soil
Move the experienced hands 70
the big fields, they suggest. and
do things on a gigantic scale. A
recent migration test was made
in Wisconsin and Kentucky. But
the proposal Is attacked BY GER
tam prosperous rural spokesmen
VINO warn that q grower Is an
independent person whose hired
men live IN his house He wants
no poor trash assOciating with
MS family and running his gar
dens and equipment. The tradi-
tionsl quiet Of the pastoral scene
has been shattered.