The West News (West, Tex.), Vol. 51, No. 14, Ed. 1 Friday, August 30, 1940 Page: 2 of 8
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THE WEST NEWS
Waakington Digest
Congressional Attention Focused
On National Preparedness Plan
Suggest Investigation of Progress Made: Roosevelt Takes
Personal Charge of Defense Program; Army
Leaders Prepare for Draft.
By G. F.
iMum to We*t*re !Sre«if’ "mob. I
WASHINGTON —Congress is an-
noyed by slow motion in the nation-
al defense program.
The war department recently re-
ported to a joint committee of the
house and senate that although ap-
proximately MOO.000,000 had been
appropriated hi Jane for army air-
planes, engines and accessories, ac-
tual contracts had been signed for
only 33 planes. . . .
The appropriation bills provided
funds for 4,000 planes, but seven
■weeks later only 33 planes actually j
were under contract—and those will j
not be delivered before January or j
February, 1041
In the same hearing, the national j
defense commission reported that
the army would not have full equip- j
meat for 750,000 men before 1942
Inasmuch as congress has appro-
priated and authorized $14,000,000,-
000 for national defense since Jan-
uary. 1040, members of the house
and senate are pressing for a thor-
ough investigation of the prepared-
ness slow-down.
Some leaders favor establishment
ot a joist committee of the house
and senate to conduct a continuing
''audit'' of the defense contracts.
Such an arrangement would keep
congress fully abreast of new orders.
Capitol Hill has been grumbling
sctto voce for several weeks over
reports of confusion and conflict m
the military departments. Whatev-
er the cause, heavy defense equip-
ment is not yet being produced in
any considerable quantity. This ap-
plies particularly to long-range guns
for the coast artillery, heavy naval
guns, land tanks, and long-range
bombing planes Congress is de-
termined to find the bottleneck.
One course of friction has been
located m the procurement division
of the treasury department, which
long has been the general purchas-
agency for the government.
anti-conscriptioB sentiment is based
largely on the general knowledge
that supplies, material and equip-
ment are not yet available for a
conscript army.
Many critics insist that volun-
tary enlistments should be given a
trial at least to the point at which
surplus military equipment will be
available over and above that need-
ed for the present standing army
and National Guard.
The wave of anti-conscriptxm mail
a deep impression upon
congressional sentiment What pur-
pose will be served by registering
12.000.000 young men for compulsory
military service when there is no
field equipment available for even
750.000 men' So runs the cloak-
room discussion on Capitol Hill.
Much opposition to conscription is
based upon the fact that compulsory
military service has been a favored
device of the European dictators.
In ordinary times this hardly
would be a valid argument against
conscription m the United States.
But these are not ordinary times.
During the last seven years vast
discretionary powers have been del-
egated to the President by congress.
For the most part these powers are
all dormant for the time being But
they may be called to active use
by a mere presidential proclama-
tion
Thev Call It
POLITICS
By CARTER FIELD
' Bell SrBdicaie—WTCV Semce >
WASHINGTON —The question is
repeatedly asked "Does the Presi-
dent know something he cannot
tell?” Meaning, of course, whether
Mr. Roosevelt knows of some specif-
ic threat to the United States which
Secretary Morgenthau feels his de- is responsible for the feverish activ-
partmect should continue to place ity to get this country "prepared ’’
the contracts. On the other (tand.
the army and the navy insist they
should place their own orders for
highly specialized equipment. Third,
the new defense commission feel
they should place all orders for
equipment not heretofore purchased
by the government.
In this scramble many orders are
falling between the three contend-
ing authorities, or being delayed by
departmental red-tape.
Secretary Morgenthau has in-
formed congress that out of the
*14,000,000.000 now available for de-
fense. not more than $5,000,000,000
could be spent by July 1. 1941. un-
der the present schedule of buying.
• • •
American industry has made ev-
ery effort to get the preparedness
wheels turning. Thousands of man-
ufacturers have come to Washing-
ton at their own expense to offer
their plants to the government.
Some have returned home without
having conferred with the official
sought Confusion prevails in the
purchasing agencies, due to conflicts
of authority under the hastily writ-
ten emergency legislation. The de-
fense commission is now appealing
to business managers not to come
to Washington, but to wait until they
receive inquiries by mail.
Certainly the President has had a
lot of reports which he has not stat-
ed publicly.
For instance, it was the conviction
of the Military intelligence of the
V. S. army up to about a month
ago that the Germans would win the
"Battle of Britain'1 and would win it
within "four weeks" from the time
the Nazis started.
Since then Military intelligence
has revised its views sharply. The
revision has been due to two factors.
One is that the British air fighting
has surprised the world. For a con-
siderable period of time, AFTER the
French collapse and carrying
through to the last reports as this is
wr.tten. the British had been losing
only about one plane to four for the
Germans.
This is not enough to whittle the
Germans "down to size," or to give
the British a sporting chance
against the Nazi air armadas. But
it has changed the picture tremen-
dously so far as any opinions as
to a "four-week conquest" are con-
cerned.
Naturally this "information." at
the tune it was believed by Military
intelligence, was not made public.
It was based on what the army of-
ficers regarded as the best reports
available—from their own observers
abroad—but after all it was merely
STAGE SCREEN RADIO
By VIRGINIA VALE
ORtitAjed by Western Newspaper UstsU
TTERBERT MARSHALL’S
I* first talking picture was
“The Letter,” in which he
played Jeanne Eagel’s lover,
whom she killed. Now he's
playing in it again, but this
time he’s the husband of the
heroine, played by Bette Davis.
He prefers his current role.
*Td rather be a betrayed,
but live, husband, than a dead
lover!" he commented.
Incidentally, two of the
most interesting photographs
that have come this way re-
cently are of Bette Davis and
her stand-in. They're dressed alike,
posed alike. If anything, the stand-
in is a little prettier than the talent-
ed Bette, but she suffers sadly by
contrast. Those photographs show
the difference between an expert
end an amateur, and they're worthy
of any girl's careful study.
-4- I
Twentieth Century-Fox finally got
the screen rights to the play "To-
bacco Road,” which has been run-
ning in New York for years. RKO
wanted it too—it's rumored that the
price was more than 5100.000. Unless
all censorship bars are let down,
considerable rewriting will have to
be done.
—r—
Although the two girls have been
an the same lot for more than a
year. Dorothy Lamour and Mary
Martin didn't meet until recently,
when they were rehearsing dance
numbers with LeRoy Print. The
Sarong Siren was brushing up
her rbnmba tor "Moon Over Bor-
ma." and the “My Heart Belongs to
Daddy" girl was rehearsing intri-
cate tap routine* (or "Love Thy
Neighbor.” h> which she appears
with Jack Benny and Fred Alien.
According to Ray Milland, “The
greatest gift an actor can get ia a
chance to play with Claudette Col-
bert."
Here's the record that proves it.
One of Miliand’s first pictures was
Kathleen Norris Says:
Is This Woman a Fool?
•B«l1 Syndi**t«—WXV Servlet.)
Wmm
Granilaad
Rice
They netec think srhet u doe* M e tcife to ipend ell hrr looking hours in the
pretence e/ three total/, restless, demanding children end m Armenian girl of nine-
teen st hose great mleretf it the Thunder night dance.
-Wi
President Roosevelt has taken di- opinion, convincing as a might be
reel personal charge of the entire “ *** army. Naturally also, this
defense program. Although, heavily prediction was reported to the Pres-
burdened by acute problems in for- and naturally it alarmed him,
eign relations and a multitude of especially as a so happens that most
pressing domestic issues, Mr. Roose- of the predictions which Military
veil wants to give personal approv- intelligence had made as to earlier
al of every major contract for de- j features of the war were amazingly
tense equipment His long expen- •c2Jr*t^_ ... , .___.
ence as assistant secretary of the The President has also heard
navy equipped him with special *°me gloomy forecasts from a cer-
tedmicai knowledge of fighting sea- naval source. The real point of
craft. He as not equally familiar all this is that the President was
with modern airplanes and army more pessimistic, and hence more
equipment. The whole system of , convinced of the necessity of
military aviation in the modern SPEEDY preparedness on the pail
maaano h.« developed since Mr. ! of this country, than be had the
Roosevelt left the navy department right to explain to the country.
in 1921 Giant tanks and motorized
army units likewise are a recent
development. Delicate technical
problems are involved in all this
modern equipment. Some military
experts have cautiously expressed
Why, it might be asked, should a
forecast of quick British defeat have
worried the President so far as THIS
cotmtry is concerned
Because the President is much
worried about what the Nazis will
that President Roosevelt do if they conquer Britain. For in-
should not undertake to deal per- stance, there is the Caribbean,
sonaTiy with an these complex tech- where a victorious Germany might
„p-,i problems. But their sense at attempt to seize possessions of the
loyalty and patriotism restrains all conquered, possessions which would
public criticism of the commander- make magnificent air bases for
q^chief eventual attack on the Panama
Opposition to compulsory military canal or the U S. itself. For to-
rn peace times is rising m I stance, m son* Latin American
sections of the country. The j countries there are tremendous Ger-
mail indicates that
DEFENSE PROGRAM
Members of congress are great-
fl4.iMG.m.aOC for
once January, 1941.
charge of die
in an effort to speed op
man and Italian populations.
This is a perfect illustration of
the sort at dungs the President m
thinking about which be cannot men-
tion publicly. There are others.
Some of them are not quite an deli-
cate. As a matter of fact, a consid-
erable number of senators, refite-
setOaiivcs az
but it was not
until AFTER Military intelligence
had changed its predictions. to
fact, tt there had
! to the view of ai
By KATHLEEN NORRIS
HEN I was a girl the
burning question was
that of franchise for
women. In that day everyone—
men and women both—thought
there was some argument
about it. Women were fit to do
all the hard work in the world,
and the few who struggled
through law or medical courses
invariably came out ahead of
the men in class work, but there
was a general impression that
no matter how estimable and
lovable members of the weaker
sex were, they shouldn’t have
any authority.
Nothing to say about schools,
or politics, or business, or hous-
ing, or morality. The only
! voices that could speak on these
j topics were those of men. In
the delicate questions of their
souls, of their ailments, of in-
comes and responsibilities,
women must be guided by men.
Women are not yet awake. They
are still being led blindfolded
through life by the all-con trolling
males. But at least they are stir-
ring in their sleep, and political re-
! sponsibility, being granted a short
20 years ago, has encouraged them
to work for recognition in higher
positions and in statecraft
Future Holds More Freedom.
Twenty years! Biologically one
second. In a hundred years they
will only have begun to grasp the
full power of their shackles and to
take their rightful places as a sex,
prisoned too long in a world of false
conditions; conditions made by men
only, and for which both men and
women pay.
Women are gregarious. They like
community life. Generations ago
young mothers would have united
their interests, gotten together
groups of babies, commissioned a
few mothers is turn to do the tend-
ing, cook the spinach, watch the
sleepers, and so have freed two-
thirds of the other mothers for sev-
eral days housekeeping, sewing,
study and relaxation each week.
But man. jealous and monopolis-
tic, decreed that each woman should
have her own little separate estab-
lishment His business is run on
a cheerful, companionable, group-
unit plan. But until some 30 years
ago no wife ever touched money of
her own; it was doled out to her in
dollars and half-dollars, for shoes
and gas and meat. She dared not
even dream of a Babies club, ia
which she and her congenial friends
ryiag Procurer Jack Moss of ran- ana a group of happy children might
meant—be needed one far "D. O. share the nursery years. No, her
A." (Dead ea Arrival) a mystery man decreed, consciously or uncon-
th filler lea taring Ellen Drew, Rod sciously, that the only companion
Camera*, and various others. He's she might have in her long tiring
cabled to Bristol to ask how much days was some ignorant young for-
be’d have to pay for Alfred, the eigaer. *
gorilla, and what coald he dene Werk fsnld Be Organised.
“ “■**V*£; If women's work ^STheorgan-
f.... ? ^ T1: teed as men s work is; with centos
3 . * anything big whfre children flourished un-
nad *«ary enoogn to ns am par- ^ the care ^ own mothers;
**"*' _ srith a garden, a playground, a
* well-equipped attic for rainy days.
After finishing a picture most rf#<iing hours, music, language
stars make a great to-do about ea- there would be hanoier
caping Hollywood and its crowds to
get away to some quiet place. But
after finishing "The Howards of
Virginia," Cary Grant rushed
straight to Broadway, and Martha
Scott beaded for a crowded and
fashionable hotel to Santo Barbara.
Calif. Rato off to them! The stars
CLACDETTE COLBERT
“The Gilded Lily,” made six years
ago; it gave him a good start toward
his present success. A young man
named Fred MacMurray got his
start in that picture, too; he was
so scared that he shook- when he
was making tests, and Miss Colbert
kidded him out of his panic.
Melvyn Douglas was a polite bur
sinister "heavy" until he worked
opposite her m “She Married Her
Boss" and surprised everybody bin
himself by proving to be an excel-
lent light comedian. “I Met Him in
Paris" gave the public another light
comedian, Robert Young, who until
then had been a serious young man
on the screen. Clark Gable had
been slipping at the box office until
he and the charming Claudette
1 made the hilarious “It Happened
One Night"
A giant gorilla has been worrying
the executives of the too at Bristol,
England; R cost* $H a day to feed
him. and they feared that they'd
have to destroy him to save lux
rations.
A giant gorilla has also keen wor-
EQl’ALITY
Kathleen horns mokes a piee for
epeatuy ef uomen stxlk men. She
deplore! the stole of unconscious iaj-
solope in ethsch mossy seamen lice.
Their Uses ere teostlontlr being regu-
lated by domineering husbands toko
don't realise titer ore arsing as tyrants
oner their beioted stives. Mitt Norris
Undies the serious problem cessed by
this deplorable condition end agars
odcict on hose it con be soil ed.
Women hunger far this
ecooomic,
the small-years problem,
still frown Jt down. They
it d
think what i
i to a wife to spend
ders, don’t go quietly ahead and
live their lives as they want to.
Their only way out is quarrels and
divorce. But I believe many a wom-
an would find herself out of the
woods of headaches, depression,
nerves, discontent, if she sat down
seriously today—or better, took a
long walk, while pondering the ques-
tion, “What changes in our Uvea
would make me happy? What would
I LIKE to do?”
Almost always the answer is near-
er than she thinks. ■"''
Set ia His Ways.
"My husband is the best man in
the world,” a Philadelphia wife once
wrote me, "but he is set He hates
anything out of the way. For ex-
ample when two summers ago I
clipped my little girls' hair quite
short, for their comfort and my con-
venience in the hot weather, he was
so angry and so long resentful that
1 paid dearly for it, and so did the
girls. This year they wear curls,
a great care for mother. Our boy is
six months old, and as I do all my
own work I was glad to get the
baby-pen into commission again. But
Kent has decided that the pen may
curb the baby’s natural daring, as
be grows, and he won't let me use it.
“We have a pleasant back yard
with maples and elms in it. and I
have hedges around the clotheslines
and the barrels. Often I would like
to serve lunch or supper there, for
the birds do the clearing up and I
can make a meal a picnic, with pa-
per cups and napkins. But this con-
ventional man of mine is always
conscious of the few back windows
of neighbors' houses that overlook
the yard; some one MIGHT be look-
ing down an us and our hamburgers!
“Kent hands me his pay check
every week; he doesn't drink; he
loves his wife and children. We
save, and we own a lovely roomy
home. But it is trying to be checked
at so many turns, and I am won-
dering if you ever bad a problem
like mine to solve, pad what is the
cure.
Regimented Living
“1 must not send poems to the
evening paper, because it embar-
rasses him. The children are never
peimit'ed to see the ‘funnies' in the
Sunday paper No caller must ever
be ia the house when Kent gets
home. If I telephone a friend he
keeps up an undertone: ‘Cut that,
dear. You’ve been six minutes—
you've been seven minutes.' If 1
suggest a movie he is apt to say
kindly, T don't think that with ail
you've had to do today you want to
sit in a hot movie.’ Never in the
nine years since my oldest was born
has be stayed at home and let me
go anywhere at night.
“But we all love our daddy, and
txis is not complaint,” the letter end-
ed. “It's only that if he would be
a little less critical, we would all be
so happy.”
This letter is about six years okl.
I quote it as a perfect illustration
at the state ai vaasalage in which
some women unconsciously lire. The
man neither knew he was a tyrant,
dot the woman that her life was be-
ing robbed of all Ha bloom. And
of course the result was tightened
meat on her part, and the encour-
of his messianic complex to
"I like,” said the Duffer serenely,
“To read of the faults In this
game,
Of faulU that are almost obscenely
Blockading the highway of fame.
Of those who are stymied or bunk-
ered,
Who don’t pivot right on the tee,
So please print a lot of the incorrect
clutch
Of those who are swaying or duck-
ing too much
(Just any old fault U a personal
touch;
For that'* what’s the matter with
me.
CARATOGA, N. Y.-The top horse-
^ man of the world today is in the
general direction of his eightieth
year—high up in the seventies. He
schooled his first _
steeplechaser 61
years ago—and aft-
er 61 years he is
still many lengths
in front under
wraps. He is also
one of the top
sportsmen of all
time, one of the
most remarkable
men I’ve ever
known in sport.
His name is
Thomas Hitchcock,
father of Tommy
Hitchcock Jr., who will stand as the
all-time polo player until some su-
perman comes along. And there
are no supermen.
Everyone has admired the ef-
ficiency of Connie Mack, 77, and
Lonnie Stagg, 77, at baseball and
football. But the name of Thom a*
Hitchcock belongs in this slender
group of amazing veterans who have
thrown clocks and calendars away
and ignored time. They have made
the years their vassals, ignoring
such puny details as half-centuries.
Training Winners
I met Mr. Hitchcock just after one
of his horses had won another
steeplechase.
I wanted to know how he did it
I asked him first why it was that ha
never hod the front feet of his jum|fe
ers shod.
“This,” he said, “Is quite a sim-
ple matter. A horse gets his drive
and balance from his hind feet. Hie
forefeet have a tendency to expand.
His boffa will nearly always spread.
Now if yon encase these hoofs to
an iron band there can be no et-
pantion. There can be no give. I
have known this after some 64 years
of study and observation. That Is
the reason my jumpers are never
shod to the front.
“The trouble most horses have Is
with their hoofs or legs. I have
never had any such trouble.”
Other Angles to Consider
I asked Mr. Hitchcock just what
system he followed to bring about
such an amazing success.
“First of all,” he answered. “I
would say the word is ‘patience.’
You can’t drive a horse at a bar-
rier and force him over. Not con-
sistently. 1 want natural jumpers.
Not synthetic jumpers. So I start
them in this direction when they are
less than a year old. I give them
minor jumps to make on their army
to eat—jumps of less than a foot.
I gradually increase this height, I
get them to feel that a jump is »
part of their lives—something they
have to make before they can eat.
“These jumps are made higher
and higher. But there is no force
shoot it. There Is nothing new
shoot It. It la something that be-
longs to their esrtier memories—
something they handle Instinctively.'*
I asked Mr. Hitchcock about other
details.
“For one thing," he said, “you
must know and love hones. Few
art alike. They have their own
whims and personalities. But to get
them accustomed to people I have
young riden, 10 or 12 yean old, who
ride or play srith them as yearlings.
I get them accustomed to the prob-
lem* they must face later on. I get
them used to other hones which
may be crowding in.
“All this," he said, “takes a world
of patience. The hone must be
schooled over and over and over.
What you want him to do must b«
made a habit that he understands.
“The same thing roes for pnto
penies. I have known experts wba
went out for speed. Bat a pate
poo) must he trained and taught to
turn ia a split second. Speed, at
course. Is s factor. But so is ton-
ing agility. These are things tost
take time.
“To my mind a hone doesn't
reach or approach his prime until
he is six yean old. This applies
especially to jumping and to polo.
You haven't time to teach young
hones what they need to know at
these two sports."
Back Over the Years
j "Just when did you begin
schooling work?" 1 asked.
“When I was at Oxford, in U
he said. “No, It was before I
Probably around 1119. I was a I
yoonger then," ho added, "thi
am now.”
i That was 61 yean ago. Bi
doubt he was younger then.
“There it ao much to do,” he
tntoer plaintively, "sad so 1
tin* to which to do R. Whoa
/
1
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Webb, Leonard. The West News (West, Tex.), Vol. 51, No. 14, Ed. 1 Friday, August 30, 1940, newspaper, August 30, 1940; West, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth589416/m1/2/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting West Public Library.