The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-11-30
Observations
viii War Goods
be Liquidated at
90 Per Cent Cost?
BY HELEN EssARY

Lawmakers appraisals OF what
Uncle Sam can salvage out OF the
vast store Of materials amassed for
war and dwindling as they get
further into the involved problems
OF liquidating an estimated 100 bill.
lion dollars worth OF assorted pro-
pcrty.
Rep. Carter Manasco (D) OF Ala.
bama, a House conferee on the
disposal bill, tossed off an estimate
OF is billion dollars in talking 10
newsmen. \ few days later he con.
coded he had been too optimistic
and reduced his guess to seven or
eigh- or possibly nine billions.
Senator Ebert d. Thomas Cd OF
Utah quipped 10 reporters that five
cents on the dollar is the usual re-
turn for liGuidating reeeivership
goods.
The problem is difficult War
plants probably will be the best
revenue item, Manasco believes.
He thinks they will bring in three
TOUR DllllOLS,
But other goods bring more SER
ions problems. Many of the goods
are strictly war items, worthless
Tor other purposes, except for
scrap.
Consumer goods that the public
would buy create their special
angle. they will mostly be com
peting with goods being offered by
industries just as they are getting
up their reconversion steam.
n THE FIELD OF international
trade, Americas T 7ition in the
postNazi world Is far from clear.
Admittedly il the United States
and for that matter, Great Bri-
&ain-are 10 maintain their historic
al positions in world commerce
some agreement with the Soviet
Union must be reached.
Foreign trade experts predict
that Russia's situation after the
defeat OF Germany will be unique
among the big three powers.
She aIotfe will be at peace with the
rest of the world while her two
large partners will continue to be
deeply involved in war.
II is pointed out with some alarm
that the wly.industrilaized Us.
S.R. will have available huge idle
plant capacity for the manufacture
OF civilian goods which would find
a ready market in the export field.
Meanwhile, Britain and the Unit
ed States will be forced 10 continue
large-scale war production 10 sup
ply needs Of the japanese cam
paign.
To solve this dilemma an import
ant group in Washin ton is advo-
eating that Russia pay back her
lendlease account with civilian
consumer goods which she normal
ly would have manufactured for
export.
An ARMY NURSE tells this one
about a front-line hospital in Italy:
The wounded were streaming back
covered with mud and the CRIME
OF batue (she "relates) and with
heavy growths Of beard.
One day a wounded fighting man
was brought IN, and the nurse
observed he was unusually clean,
although his clothing showed he
had been through action.
You don't seem to belong here
the nurse commented to the Yank.
"How is II you are so clean when
the others are coming up so dirty?'
oh" he replied nonchalantly,
I've been lying in the river for
four days and couldn't get out be-
cause the ferries kept shooting at
US"
AN INTENSIFIED DRIVE for en-
actment OF a peace-time universal
training program for American
youths will be made when the new
Congress convenes in January.
The plan is receiving increasing
support, the latest coming from
the United tate3 Chamber of Com
merce which said it's member as
sociations endorsed universal train
In I'm a nationwide poll.
Other supporters include the
American Legion and National
Draft Chief Maj. Gen. Lewis Il.
Hershey. Three bills requiring a
years military or naval training
for all boys have already been
tossed into the congressional hop
per. The induction ages vary from
II TO is.
Peace-time induction may be con-
si'ered a part OF any extension Of
the Selectiye Service Act, which
expires May -, 1915.