davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1946-05-30
The Political Mill
Br Gould Lincoln

vetoing the Smith -Connally War Labor
Disputes Act-Which was eventually
passed over the veto-Mr. Roosevelt
said:
There should be no misunderstand-
ing-I intend to use the powers of Gov
ernment to prevent the interruption Of
war production by strikes. l shall ap-
prove legislation that will truly
strengthen the hands of the Govern
ment in dealing with such strikes, and
will prevent the defiance of the Ma
tional War Labor Boards decisions.
Il recommend that the Selective Serv-
ice Act be amended so that persons
may be inducted into non-combat mill
tary service up to the age of IS years.
This will enable us to induct into mill
tary service all persons who engage in
strikes or stoppages or other interrupt
tions of work in plants in the possession
of the United States"
This is exactly what Mr.. Truman rec
commended, only the country was en-
gagged in civil strife-for It's very life
instead OF being in the midst Of a
world war. Mr.. Roosevelt did not
press his accommodation further,
probably because the coal miners who
had been on strike went back to work
as they have now
No one started heaving brick bats at
Mr. Roosevelt-then President-because
OF his recommendation that he be al
lowed to draft men to work in Govern
ment-held plants if they went on strike
No labor leader threatened to spend
$4,000 900 to prevent his reelection; no
one called him ham actor"
The rantings of A. F. Whitney, presi-
dent of the trainmen's brotherhood,
and of the CIO and their union leaders
and their threats to defeat Mr.. Truman
in 1948 and to kill off members of Con-
gress who had the temerity to support
Mr.. Humans recommendations were
having their effect on the less cour-
ageous administration leaders. So they
sought to have vote on the draft pro-
vision postponed-in order to give the
President opportunity later to withdraw
his request for that particular provision
In ridiculous half-hour session, this
maneuver was attempted in the Senate,
but it failed and the Senate went ahead
and voted, in accordance with a unani-
nous consent agreement. on that Sec
ton of the emergency bill
What kind of emergency legislation
will ultimately be enacted, if any, re-
mains to be seen. In the meantime, the
House by more than two-thirds vote
accepted the Senate amendment to the
Case permanent labor bill and sent it
to the White House. Every pressure will
be brought upon Mr.. Truman to veto
this bill-although its provisions are
much needed. 1t would be refreshing if
the President declined to be pushed
around and approved the bill. 1t is one
piece of legislation to curb irresponsible
labor leadership which he can now have,
if he will
Evening star., 1946-05-30

the Navy hopes to have an air base
at Annapolis for .active training of
midshipmen in aviation, but hopes
for an early start on this develop
ment were blasted when the Budget
Bureau recently eliminated the air
port item from the Naval Academy
budget. 1t is reassuring to know
that, despite difficulties, the au-
thorities at Annapolis and West
Point are doing their utmost to train
our naval and military commanders
OF the future in the latest method
OF joining forces for the Nations
security.
Evening star., 1946-05-30
Siam, France and u. N.

The armed clashes between French
troops and Siamese border forces,
reported from Bangkok, the Siamese
capital, indicate another complica-
ton in the already profoundly un-
settled Far East. While Franco
Siamese relations have been in
creasingly tense, the precise reason
for what Bangkok claims to have
been incursions upon Siamese terri
tory is not yet established. The
strangest aspect of this obscure af-
fair is that the reported incursions
are taking place on the upper Me-
kong River above the disputed dis
tricts which the Japanese -dominat-
ed government of Siam (then known
as Thailand) seized from the French
in the period before Pearl Harbor,
when both Siam and the French COL
ony of Indo-C China were under JAP
anese domination. Tokyo incited the
Siamese to take this aggressive ac-
ton in order to win Siamese SYM
pathy for their country's entry into
Japan's Far Eastern "co-prosperity
sphere" The seized districts had
originally been Siamese, but had
been extorted by the French half
century before, at a time when
France, like other European Powers,
was carving out big colonial en-
pire from Oriental lands too back
ward militarily to resist Western
imperialisms. The Siamese, however,
nursed the old grievance and took
the occasion offered by Tokyo to re-
dress the balance.
Under japanese Indictment, Siam
likewise took aggressive action
against the British Empire and was
rewarded by cessions of British ter
ritory in Malaga and Burma. How
ever, strong opposition persisted in
Siam against serving as q Japanese
Evening star., 1946-05-30
Redressinq q Wronq

In submitting to the House re-
port unanimously approving inclu-
sion of retroactive clause in the
Civil Service Retirement Act of
January "a, 1912, the House Civil
Service Committee has brought
cheer to dwindling group of re-
tired Government employees who
long have been penalized unjustly
for having retired prior to enact
ment of the 1912 law, which liberal
lied annuitieS. Congress failure to
make the annuity changes retroac-
tive left approximately 1873 retired
employees deprived of the increased
benefits, although it had been the
policy of the Government in the
past to make such benefits retroac-
tive. Some of these annuitants were
fortunate enough to obtain re-em-
ployment on the Federal payroll
during the war and thereby auto
matically became eligible for the
higher retirement benefits. Many
were unable to serve during the
emergency because of disabilities
and thus were foreclosed from any
improvement of status.
During the nearly four and a
half years since the 1912 legislative
oversight, about one-fourth of the
original 1878 annuitants affected by
the error have died. The list has
been further reduced by re-employ-
ment, as already mentioned, and
when it is considered that all of the
annuitants concerned are more than
four years older, the total cost to
the Government today of rectifying
the situation is estimated at little
more than sS,O00,OOO, or about half
what it would have cost in January,
1912. This is a relatively small
amount of pay in atonement for
legislative mistake that has done a
regrettable injustice to a small
group of faithful former employees of
the Government. The House can
write happy ending to the sad
episode by passing promptly the
pending remedial bill, which already
has won the approval of the Senate.
Evening star., 1946-05-30

Senatorial memories are short-llVed-
like memories of others. BY vote Of
70 to 13, the Upper House yesterday
struck from President Truman's emer-
gency labor bill the section which would
authorize the drafting into the military
service those workers who struck in
Government operated mines, railroads
or other essential plants. When the
vote was taken, the railroad strike had
been over four days, and the coal strike
had been settled-work stoppages that
threatened the whole life of the Nation.
Senators, like every one else, were
breathing easier. They were quite ready
to forget the great need which prompted
President Truman as Chief Executive,
to go before the Congress last Satur-
day and urge this power of draft be
given, along with other emergency
powers. They were able to pat them
selves on the back and point out how
unfortunate it would be for this coun-
try ever to seek to prevent these devas-
tating work stoppages by compulsion.
1t is quite within the probabilities they
will fight to remove other powers from
the bill. The effort to get back into
the good graces Of union labor is under
way on a large scale.
The Senate, therefore, has left the
President. and the House which needed
the Presidents request for emergency
powers, holding the bag. Except for the
13 who voted against the deletion of
the draft provision from the bill, no
Senator will be on record as having
supported that method-the last and
ultimate method-of compelling men to
work at essential tasks while they ne
gotiated with the Government over
working conditions and wage scales.
The Senators were lucky. Had the
railroad strike been in operation and
the country completely paralyzed, the
Senate vote would have been very diff
ferent. The country would have been
clamoring for relief-as it was when
Mr.. Truman went to the Capitol to
deliver his address, asking this power
be given him. And the Senate, like the
President and the House, would have
given heed. Indeed, the action of the
House Immediately on the heels of the
Presidents request, undoubtedly had its
effect on others who were on strike
against Government operation - the
mine workers.
Mr. Truman, it appears, is to be made
the goat, by New Dealers who. had they
been in Mr.. Truman'S place last week,
would have found courage to do what
the President did: or would have
yielded absolutely to the strikers Per-
laps they would have done the latter
However, Mr.. Truman had prece-
dent when he demanded legislative au-
thority to draft strikers against Gov
ernment operation of essential plants
into the military service-a precedent
established by the chief New Dealer of
them all. the late President Franklin D.
Roosevelt. In his message to Congress
Evening star., 1946-05-30

The public relations section of the
War Department was only slightly bet
ter informed. 1t knew little about the
generals trip to this country, although
it had heard that our military attache
in Buenos Aires had asked the War De-
partment to reserve a room at hotel
in Washington for him. However, the
reservation had been Cancelled.
Nevertheless, it was known in diplo-
matte quarters in Washington that
Gen. Won der Becke was on his way to
Washington and that he would see and
lunch with Gen. Eisenhower.
The discretion of the War Depart
ment was understandable. 1t did not
want to put the State Departments
Latin American division on the spot and
1t was hoped that the visit of the Argen-
tine top-ranking officer might pass un-
noticed at time when the newspapers
and the American public were deeply
concerned with burning domestic is
sues.
Because Of consideration for the feel
ings Of the State Department, the War
Department was anxious to keep as
quiet as possible the fact that one of
the most important military men in Ar
gentina was coming to Washington, evil
IDENTIFY not just to see the sights.
Our Chiefs Of Staff are as concerned
about the general world situation as
Secretary of State Byrnes himself. The
blow administered by Congress in re-
gard to the Selective Service Act has
been as keenly felt by them as by the
Secretary.
Gen. Eisenhower and Admiral Nimitz
are gravely concerned over the increas-
ing tension in Europe and Asia. No one
can say what would happen should an
other major military clash occur in
those areas But they believe that
close military cooperation. as provided
in the Chapultepec agreement, could
work to the best advantage of all the
nations in this hemisphere.
This thought prompted them to ask
Congress to adopt a positive policy for
military aid for Latin America and.
since Argentina is one of the pillars of
hemisphere defense. the suggestion
from Buenos Aires that Gen. Won der
Becke was coming to Washington ''un-
officially was welcomed by the War
Department. 1t may help melt the
blocks of ice which the State Depart
ment has placed between the United
States and the sister republics in the
South
Evening star., 1946-05-30
] eumwork in Combat

Regardless of the outcome of
pending proposals for statutory uni
f1cation of the Army and Navy,
Americas future officers Of the Reg
ular Army and Navy will be thor
oughly indoctrinated in proved
principles of unified combat opera
tions. The type of front-line team
work which brought victory to the
Allies in World War II is to be
taught not only by textbook but by
practice maneuverS, under the new
instruction programs adopted by the
Naval and Military Academies.
Joining for the first time in their
respective histories in full-scale am
phibious battle tactics, the two
academies have planned a simulated
"task force" landing by midshipmen,
cadets and Marines this summer in
the Chesapeake Bay-New River area.
Emulating the island-to-island in
vasions of our Army-Navy- Marine
teams in the Pacific, the student
officers will hit the beach in landing
craft after "softening" of shore
defenses by warships of the task
force under Rear Admiral Ralph o.
Davis. Having been in charge of
training the Navy's amphibious
forces in the Pacific during part of
the war and having commanded an
amphibious group in the last year
OF the Pacific war, Admiral Davis is
we'll qualified to conduct the ma
neuvers.
Aviation will be assigned an i'm
portant role in the forthcoming war
games, just as it is being given an
increasingly prominent place in the
curricula Of both academies. The
middies will be given cruises this
summer aboard an aircraft carrier,
studying battle tactics of carrier
deets and their planes. Eventually
Evening star., 1946-05-30
Letters to The Star
Stresses Duties of Citizens In
Time of Emeraency

To the Editor of The Star:
The gravity of the situation in which
our country finds itself at this hour, due
to the wave of strikes which has par
alyzed our Nation, should make every
American take cognizance of his re-
sponsibility as citizen. Every one of
us has duty to perform in times of
stress.
1t is people who make a country
great, and we Americans, who have
made our country the greatest democ-
racy on earth, are now using our de-
mocracy and liberty to wreck our coun-
try. The power of the great rests on
the shoulders of the humble, and the
prestige of America was built up by its
people. History has dropped into the
lap Of the United States of America the
destiny of nations, the lives of millions
A starving, war-torn, sick world looks to
US for help, places its hope in us to
lead it along path of peace and re-
construction-and what is 1t we are
showing this world?
Economic chaos, jurisdictional fights
house divided against itself. The
complete and total paralysis of the
economy of our country Railroads at
standstill, panicky population hoard
ing groceries, coal mines stock still,
factories silent, thousands upon thou
sands of workers forced into idleness-
all this in the United States of America.
the country which has helped win the
greatest and most terrible war in the
history of mankind!
No one man. nor group of men, should
be big enough to cripple the life of a
country. Any act striking at the econ
omy of the Nation is tantamount to
treason.
Labor -baiters," "reactionaries, 'dic-
tators" and similar epithets will fill the
pages of our newspapers, roll over the
air waves, resound in discussion groups
in the Nations corridors, wherever
people meet. The enemies and critics
Of American democracy at home and
abroad will make political capital of the
situation, will snipe at the administra-
ton, will call it names-in good demo-
cratic fashion-but hardly will offer
anything constructive.
We have enjoyed the benefits of pro-
gressive social legislation, so we take it
for granted; yet this was not achieved
by sniping at our Government but by
our collective effort as citizens
While it is true that the measures
requested by the President are severe,
we must bear in mind-those of us who
have any awareness of our Nations role
in world affairs-that Mr. Truman was
forced to ask for this legislation to pre-
vent the complete collapse Of our ma
tional economy, with the subsequent loss
of our standing as a world power, the
greatest world power.
JESSICA GRANT.
Evening star., 1946-05-30
Miss Thompson's Views

To the Editor of The Star:
Dorothy Thompson, in her column, is
screaming about the hellish situation
prevailing in Europe and Asia. Why is
she squawking? No one shouted more
to get us into Europe's quarrels than did
Dorothy Thompson. Nor did any one
support Roosevelt and our world
masterminds more stubbornly than she.
Now as the consequences appear she
wants to transfer the blame to others.
She supported every war move made in
America, she supported Roosevelt at
every election-why does she complain?
1t is those of us who opposed the New
Deal leading us into war, those of us
who opposed unlimited supplies to Rus
sia. those of us who insisted that Roose-
velt and Churchill were deceiving the
people when they issued the Atlantic
Charter, that have squawk coming.
L. w. WRIGHT.
Evening star., 1946-05-30
The Recovery of Holland
By Raym ond Moley

1t may or may not relieve our ma
Hollands railroads are running at IS
per cent of prewar volume. The little
bombed, flooded and looted neighbor of
Germany seems to be in relatively bet
ter shape than We are. A report from
Holland, summing up the situation one
year after liberation, shows some in
teresting things.
More than 100 ships entered the port
Of Rotterdam in the first three months
of the present year. The Island of
Walcheren is dry again, although it
was expected that it would remain un-
der water long time. The famous
Wieringen Sea, dried out in the '20s
and inundated by the Germans, is not
only dry again, but will yield good crop
this year. Coal production, which fell
to half its prewar volume, is rising
steadily. Brick and tile factories are
working at full capacity. And most nota-
BILE of all, it Is reported that during the
past six months fairly adequate shelter
has been provided for the large number
of Dutch who lost their homes in the
war.
All this has been provided without
crushing taxation. Taxes are high but
bearable. The Dutch figure their ma
tional income at about $500 600 900.
Taxation on this is about u per cent.
The food situation is remarkable.
Before the liberation, the Germans gave
their Dutch victims about q pound and
a half of bread a week. They are now
getting six pounds week. They get
twice the amount of potatoes. They
got no butter or milk from the Ger
mans, but now they provide themselves
weekly with three quarters of a pound
Of butter and gallon of milk Women
and children get about a pe1nd Of choc-
olate q week.
The report has this to say further:
Evening star., 1946-05-30

"Ration-free food stuffs like fish, vege-
tables and processed cereals are avail
able in unlimited quantity 1t is even
necessary at this time to destroy sur
plus spring vegetables because no ex-
port is possible"
This illustrates what Mr. Hoover has
said about the effect OF transport on
food supply. Workers in the Ruhr are
unable to get the coal out because they
are hungry. Holland, short distance
away, is destroying surplus food.
Recent elections in Holland reflect
not only restoration of economic sta
bility, but the essential conservatism
of the Dutch. The Communist vote was
negligible. The Socialists, who were
fairly strong in prewar days, did not
reach their expected strength. They
had hoped to summon enough votes to
form government. But, according to
present indications, the government will
consist of the various non-socialistic
elements.
This restoration of stability, 1t should
be noted, has taken place while the
Dutch East Indies have been torn with
revolution and disorder. No economic
help has come to the home country
from the colonies. This is fairly good
evidence that imperial relations are
not always essential to the life of small
European countries. In short, the pos
session of colonies has come to be q
luxury, rather than q necessity. This
is well, because in none of the European
nation empires, like Holland, Belgium.
France and Britain, will there be a
measurable restoration Of old-time
empire. Europe will have to attain its
balance in world in which general
world trade, rather than exploitation,
will be the rule.
CReleased by Associated Nevspapers. Ine)
Evening star., 1946-05-30
This Changing World
By Constantine Broyn

The request OF Gen. Eisenhower and
Admiral Nimitz to Congress to pass
legislation permitting the closest possible
training" collaboration between the
United States armed forces and those
of our sister republics in Latin America
was necessitated by the failure of our
diplomats to put into effect an imple-
mentation Of the Chapultepec agreement
which provides for hemisphere defense.
A conference at Rio de Janeiro, where
these matters were to be discussed by
the foreign ministers of the signatory
states, was scheduled last year but never
took place.
The State Department did not like
President-elect Juan Peron of Argen-
tina and hoped to bring about his defeat
at the polls by its hostile attitude.
Argentina is one of the key republics in
South America and any conference from
which she was barred had no expecta-
tion Of success. Hence, SO far there has
been no practical implementation of the
Chapultepec agreement
Our military and naval stats are not
dealing in personalities; nor are they
influenced to the same extent by per-
Sonal "ideologies" as are certain sections
of the State Department. Being respon-
sible physically for the national defense,
they must act realistically.
1t is this thought which prompted
Gen. Eisenhower to give a favorable
opinion when he was discreetly ap-
preached about the visit of Gen. Carlos
Won der Becke, until recently comman-
der in chief of the Argentine Army and
one of Col. Peron's closest personal
friends.
Gen. Won der Becke is a professional
soldier who has kept as much aloof from
practical politics as any South American
general. Although during the war he
sometimes wondered whether the Allies
could make it," he is known to be
friendly to the idea of hemisphere Sc
curity and solidarity.
Gen Won der Beckes plans to visit
Washington were shrouded by more than
the usual secrecy. Although definite
news was received last week about his
impending departure from Buenos Aires,
the division in the State Department
which handles Latin American affairs
professed to know nothing about his
visit. In answer to query, the division
said it had no information whatsoever.
since Gen. Won der Becke was now
private citizen and the State Depart
ment did not pretend to know about the
travels of non Official individuals.
Evening star., 1946-05-30
Church VS.. Crime News


To the Editor Of The Star:
In the issue of May 20 you gave 7
inches on page 6 to tell about a re-
ligious drive that lasted 10 days and
was attended by 10000 people. looked
on page l to see if you could have
squeezed it in there where it could have
been read by every one. I thought that
the 81a inches given to Mrs Summers,
who was found not guilty in the killing
OF her daughter (whom, however, she
did kilD could have been devoted to the
religious drive.
In fact, If the newspapers would give
church work little publicity more peo-
pie might 60 to church. If more people
were reached by the church there would
be fewer murder cases.
am a Christian, and I am not doing
this just to criticize, but to try to wake
some one up to see where we are drift
ing to. w. H. COCKERILL.
Evening star., 1946-05-30
Arlington Requiem

Dedicated to the United Nations
Chaplains' League, founded by 10 chap
lains Of World War I and World War
II at San Francisco in 1945.
At the grave, ,ohen my warfare is ended,
Let some fo,Ders emblason the sod,
And prayer mark the good intended,
Leaning all decoration to God.
JOHN CARRUTHERS,
Former Chaplain, Pasadena.