Leaders want ‘teeth’ given new League
Weakness of old organization cited
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Norris’ condition still serious
McCook, Nebraska (UP) –
George W. Norris, 83-year-old former Nebraska Senator who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage Tuesday, was still in critical condition today, but his attending physician reported he had taken “some liquid food” last night.
Mr. Norris does not respond to anything said to him, but does show signs of recognizing persons at his bedside, his physician said.
Thousands of troops to leave soon after Germany collapses
Some, however, will remain with Army of occupation, others will go to Far East
By Reuel S. Moore, United Press staff writer
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Dangerous to change Presidents now, Truman warns
Lamar, Missouri (UP) –
Senator Harry S. Truman, Democratic candidate for Vice President, probably set the theme for the fourth-term campaign in formally accepting his nomination last night in maintaining America should not change leaders in “midstream;” it should not forego President Roosevelt’s services, in view of his wide experience in the post-war settlement of the world. He pictured Mr. Roosevelt as America’s great leaders in war and its hope for enduring peace.
The Missouri Senator, returning to the town of his birth for the notification ceremony, did not mention Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York, the GOP presidential aspirant, but he cautioned repeatedly against “turning the destiny of the nation to inexperienced hands.”
Mr. Truman was notified formally of his nomination for the Vice Presidency by Senator Tom Connally (D-TX).
Truman crowd fails to match supply of food
Lamar, Missouri (UP) –
There was enough food left in Lamar today after the “big speaking,” during which Senator Harry S. Truman accepted the Democratic nomination for Vice President last night, to feed an army of occupation – but the “army” had left.
Last week, civic leaders in this town of 3,000 decided that food would be a major problem. It was – in reverse. Churches, lodges and other organizations pitched in and provided enough food to handle a crowd of between 10,000 to 20,000.
The problem today was what to do with the surplus. Last night’s crowd was estimated at 7,000. Most of the visitors arrived late and many packed their own lunches.
Editorial: 1939 – September 1 – 1944
Five years ago, at dawn, Hitler struck Poland. Most of the world was drawn into the worst war in history.
Today the once near-victor – first stopped at Moscow, Stalingrad and El Alamein – has been driven from most of Italy and France, from half of Poland and part of the Balkans. His subs are sunk, his air force and panzers riddled, his oil reserves almost gone, communications strained, plants blasted, and his Nazi Junker command rotten with internal feuds. Gen. Eisenhower predicts total victory over Germany before Christmas – provided there is all-out Allied effort on the battlefronts and home fronts.
Just as Poland – the first victim – became the symbol of German barbarism, now on the eve of Nazi defeat Poland is becoming the test of Allied peace plans. Liberation of Warsaw is delayed while rival Polish factions in Moscow and London fail to agree on a provisional government. Behind that is the struggle over whether there is to be a free, and perhaps federated, Europe, or puppet states divided between a Russian sphere of influence in the east and a British sphere in the west.
Secretary of State Hull, after persuading Russia and Britain to sign the Moscow Pact with the United States, announced that there would be no more spheres of influence, no more balance of power. Since then, the acts of Russia in Poland and elsewhere in Eastern Europe, and British policies have pointed toward a British-Russian balance of power in Europe. Prime Minister Churchill has publicly underwritten Marshal Stalin’s East European policy.
And neither Poland nor any other small nation is represented on the London Big Three commission which is drawing the peace settlement, or at the Dumbarton Oaks Big Three conference which is drafting a new League of Nations to be controlled by a council dominated by the big powers. Still British and American officials repeat the pledges of a democratic and just peace in which small nations will share equally, and the Russians insist despite appearances that they want a strong, free Poland.
Russia has a right to insist that no government in Poland, or in any other Eastern European state, shall plot against her or be used as a puppet against her by another big power or by a future Germany. But Marshal Stalin has no right, under a democratic peace, to have a Russian puppet regime in Warsaw.
The same, of course, applies to Britain in Western Europe and elsewhere, and to the United States in this hemisphere and the Far East.
More is involved than moral issues or Allied pledges. Big-power domination won’t work. It enabled Germany and Japan to break the last “peace” by playing one power against another. It would invite repetition by the same easy process.
If the big powers, one or three, dictate the Polish and other settlements, if they restore the vicious balance-of-power system, if they create a league which they control but which cannot control them, they will defy history and court World War III. That must not be.
Editorial: Misnamed liberalism
A letter from a reader puts into words better than we have yet been able the danger to labor itself in the CIO-PAC drive to take over the Democratic Party.
That movement is being promoted in the guise of liberalism. Of that our letter says:
I think that a wholesale menace to all liberties is taking form under the name of liberalism; that it is trying to capture the labor movement and, through that movement, the government; that the CIO-PAC is its spearhead; and that its goal is government planning and management of the national economy.
If I could believe that a government-planned, government-managed economy would benefit the workers, the great majority, I should question my right to feel as I do. But I can find no evidence to justify such a belief. Under such a system the faults of bureaucracy – the muddling, inefficiency, arrogance, waste and extravagance – which irritate almost everyone in a time like the present, when a large degree of government planning and management is accepted as necessary to the conduct of a war, would continue and grow worse.
But, beyond that, such a system could not function long unless government used its power to MAKE people conform to the plan and submit to the management. Laborites who think that government power would be used only against the capitalists – against industry and business and employers – are simply deluded. As deluded as were the German bankers and industrialists who backed Hitler because they thought they could control him. Eventually the power would be used against the workers and their unions.
The CIO, of course, expects its philosophy to dominate the government. Administration of the Wagner Act under Madden and the two Smiths provided a preview of what would happen to labor if that expectation were realized. The law – the government’s power – was used not only against employers but against the rival form of labor organization. The CIO tried to destroy the AFL and, given the fuller opportunity it now seeks, probably would destroy it. But it wouldn’t stop there. The CIO would want government’s power used to prevent schisms in the CIO and to prevent people from organizing unions of their own choice, or joining them, if they were heretical from the CIO viewpoint.
When the labor movement, its leaders or members, start off, knowingly or ignorantly, toward the goal of a government-planned and government-managed national economy through political action, the liberal course in my opinion is to fight such a trend. Any labor leader or any rank-and-file union member who leads or follows a march in that direction deserves no praise.
Editorial: FD on ‘indispensable man’
We read Harry Truman’s speech accepting the vice-presidential nomination, hoping to find some new argument of the Democrats. But it was the same old refrain – that only Franklin Roosevelt has the experience, that only one man can handle the big job.
A very good answer to the indispensable-man argument is a statement made by Mr. Roosevelt himself before he entered the White House. Speaking at Madison Square Garden, Nov. 5, 1932, Mr. Roosevelt said:
The genius of America is stronger than any candidate or any party. This campaign, hard as it has been, has not shattered my sense of humor or my sense of proportion. I still know that the fate of America cannot depend on any one man. The greatness of America is grounded in principles and not on any single personality. I, for one, shall remember that even as President.
Edson: Dumbarton Oaks secrecy ‘just a little silly’
By Peter Edson
Washington –
The futility of official efforts to maintain an air of sanctified, upper stratosphere mystery about the American-British-Russian conferences on post-war security, now going on at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, is best illustrated by the fact that details of the American plan leaked out at the Republican National Convention in Chicago last June. Nobody cared then and it makes no difference now, so all the effort to maintain super-secrecy seems just a little bit silly.
The original leak on the American plan came during the drafting of the Republican platform. In trying to draw up the planks on foreign policy, the Resolutions Subcommittee assigned this job ran into a snag.
There was still a good bit of isolationist strength in the party and furthermore, the GOP politicians wanted to be free to criticize the Roosevelt foreign policy and lay it on thick and good.
This attitude made it difficult to get into the platform any statements of principle that would go even as far as the Republican declaration of Mackinac Island in which, nearly a year before, GOP Senators, governors and party bigshots came out unanimously for joining an organization of nations to maintain a just and lasting peace.
Peace assembly
To sell the Resolutions Committee on the necessity for drafting a platform that would endorse something of that kind, Republican Senators Austin, Vandenberg and White, who were members of a foreign relations subcommittee familiar with Secretary of State Cordell Hull’s plans, finally felt forced to disclose to an executive session of the foreign policy plank drafters some of the details on how it was proposed to maintain peace by force. From these disclosures, information leaked out on the American plan to be presented to British and Russian delegations at Dumbarton Oaks.
News of this was generally buried under the more dramatic fight for the presidential nomination, but as revealed at Chicago the American plan called for an assembly of peace-loving nations, in which each nation would have only one vote. At the top, however, would be a council of eight nations, including the United States, Great Britain, Russia and China, whose representatives would sit permanently, and four smaller nations which would rotate annually.
It has, of course, been disclosed recently that this proposal might be modified to include France with the Big Four and to increase to seven the number of smaller nations on the council.
Whatever the numbers, in case trouble should break out in any part of the world, this executive council would be authorized to take action by vote of “an extraordinary majority,” defined as at least all of the larger nations plus one or two of the smaller nations. Thus, any one of the larger nations or all of the smaller nations combined could prevent action by negative votes.
In applying force against aggressor nations threatening the peace of the world, it was understood that the council would first try to settle disputes by diplomatic or economic sanctions. These failing, the council by extraordinary majority could decide force was necessary.
The larger nations would, of course, be expected to bear the greater burden of the costs and maintain the larger police forces which would, however, be largely under the control of their respective governments and operate principally in their own principal spheres of interest. For instance, trouble in South America would be assigned by the council to the United States for settlement, trouble in the Balkans to Russia, in Western Europe or Africa to Great Britain, in the Pacific perhaps to a combination powers.
Nonpartisanship
Disclosure of even this much of the American plan, as early as last June, made no difference in the end result. No governments fell, no diplomats were forced to turn in their portfolios, and the conference was held just as scheduled.
The fact that U.S. Senators told state secrets raises a nice question of ethics, but that is beyond the point that even after the cat had been let out of the bag, there were no ill effects. If anything, it helped the Republicans write a better platform, and helped the cause of making nonpartisan peace. That should prove there is no need for keeping a lot of this confidential stuff under such tight wrappings.
Ferguson: Polls
By Mrs. Walter Ferguson
Elections used to be fun. That was before the polltakers got loose. Now, long before the campaigns start, the analysts tell us just how everything will turn out. We are kept informed to the fraction of a vote about major and minor trend. Week after week Mr. Gallup or Mr. Roper or Mr. Somebody Else, dishes up answers to all our queries.
In a world where the means of communications are so wonderful, there is a sense of letdown. We are satisfied with details until news of any sort seems less exciting than the manner of its transmission.
Looking back, I can’t feel too sorry for people who loved without railroads and radio. I remember hearing any father relate the story of a hot campaign when William McKinley was running against the perennial Democratic candidate of that day, William Jennings Bryan. To the remote little village where we lived came word of the Great Crusader’s victory.
Excitement such as had never been known in those parts swept over the community. A torchlight parade was held and the night was filled with flaming flares and whoopee. Father, the lone Republican within a hundred miles infested with Southern Democrats, took an awful razzing from his Free Silver friends – until about 11 o’clock a horseback rider came galloping in with news that McKinley was the new President.
Such stunning tidings are no longer possible for a populace that gets its news before it happens.
Poll: Elders favor Dewey; youths for Roosevelt
All recent elections show age cleavage
By George Gallup, Director, American Institute of Public Opinion
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Gallup faces ‘iron test’ in election this year
Pollsters have much to gain or much to lose in making presidential predictions
This year’s presidential election, which gives promise of being the closest since the Wilson-Hughes race of 1916, will be an iron test of the accuracy of public opinion polls as conducted by Dr. George Gallup and other political pollsters.
So says Amy Porter, staff writer of Collier’s, in an article in the current issue. Miss Porter reported:
If they hit it right on who’ll be the next President, their stock will go up. If they guess wrong, they stand to lose much of the prestige they’ve built up in the last decade.
Miss Porter points to the fact that Dr. Gallup, “out of 114 predictions on local state and national elections, has had an average error of only four percent.” And none of the pollsters missed the popular vote by more than three percent in the last presidential election, all of them picking President Roosevelt.
Miss Porter declares:
Through the polls the people have spoken good sense on many issues. Often, they have been ahead of their political leaders. They were correct on the value of airpower before the experts; they urged military conscription long before it became law. Four years before Pearl Harbor, they were opposed to the shipment of American oil and scrap to Japan, and they favored controls on inflation before such controls were put into effect.
Miss Porter states:
The pollsters claim their technique is so precise that they can discover what any or all of us think about anything at any time. In response to your protest that they’ve never interviewed you and don’t know what you think, the pollsters contend that they did interview your proxy – a person of the same age, sex, race, religion, income, education, political affiliation, living in the same type of setting (farm, town, city) and the same section of the country as you.
GOP protests Georgia action
Chicago, Illinois (UP) –
Herbert Brownell Jr., chairman of the Republican National Committee, today appealed to Governor Ellis Arnall of Georgia to “correct the disgraceful situation” created by the refusal of Democratic Secretary of State John B. Wilson to recognize presidential electors certified by the Republican National Convention.
Mr. Brownell, in a telegram to Mr. Arnall, described Mr. Wilson’s action as “a dictatorial flaunting of the rights of Negroes.”
“Mr. Wilson rejected the names of these electors and accepted instead a fusion ticket of electors which includes so-called ‘lily white’ Republicans not recognized by the national Republican organization,” Mr. Brownell charged.
Senate asked to probe ‘interference’ by Britain
Ambassador and Congressman deny charges envoy has been declared persona non grata
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Stokes: NAM active politically, but doesn’t go out on limb
It has little love for New Deal, but learned hard way not to endorse anyone
By Thomas L. Stokes, Scripps-Howard stand writer
Washington –
Much on the controversy about group or class activity in politics, now agitated over CIO’s Political Action Committee, resolves itself down to definitions, primarily of “political activity,” and there are interesting distinctions without much difference in some cases.
This is illustrated in the parallels that can be drawn between PAC, representing one big segment of labor, and NAM – National Association of Manufacturers – representing some substantial business interests. Officials of each have been examined by the House Campaign Investigating Committee.
How ‘voluntary’
Sidney Hillman’s PAC is seeking “voluntary contributions” from union members. The question has been raised about how “voluntary” these might be in some cases, union discipline being what it is.
The money goes into a fund which is to be used for what Mr. Hillman calls “educational purposes,” to pay for publications stating issues and instructing voters how to register and how to be effective politically. And to employ men and women to work along the same general lines.
Balance frozen
Up to Aug. 15, PAC had spent some $408,000, of which $371,000 came from a fund of $670,200 contributed by unions, and the rest from contributions by individual union members on the voluntary basis since July 23. On that date, the balance of the $670,200 was frozen until after the election because of the legal ban on union contributions for political activity.
PAC hopes to raise $1,500,000 by voluntary contributions for the campaign. And the National Citizens Political Action Committee. recently created, of which Mr. Hillman is also chairman, is to raise $1,500,000 in contributions from the public. This would make a total of $3 million – if they can get it.
NAM has an annual budget of about $3 million which is raised about half and half by dues and by voluntary contributions, according to president Robert M. Gaylord, in testimony before the House Committee. About $1,385,000 of this amount will be spent this year by the “National Industrial Information Committee” for “educational purposes,” as Mr. Gaylord described it.
Sends out voting record
The Information Committee, which is described as “charged with the responsibility of promoting a better public understanding of industry and the way it operates,” sponsors meetings with business groups, church groups, women’s groups to present issues affecting business. It has been created since President Roosevelt took office.
Mr. Gaylord conceded that national legislation might be discussed at these meetings, but he did not think individual members of Congress were. He said NAM’s Washington office occasionally sends out the voting record of Congressmen on bills affecting business. NAM also maintains a lobby here, he said, to present the viewpoint of business. Labor has similar lobbies.
A difference, Mr. Gaylord pointed out, is that NAM has not pledged itself to a candidate for President, as has PAC, nor has NAM engaged in activity in primary campaigns or election campaigns, as has PAC.
Keeps head down politically
Although Mr. Gaylord said that both Democrats and Republicans belong to his organization and it could not take sides, it is only realistic to point out that no one who knows anything about the organization expects anything very favorable to the New Deal to come from it, judging from past performance, nor many of its prominent members to be on the Roosevelt side in the election.
The inference from Mr. Gaylord’s testimony was that NAM has learned, from experience and hard knocks, to keep its head down politically. He said NAM would not contribute as an organization to a political candidate, even if the legal ban did not exist, as this would only defeat its purpose.
“You can’t tell Americans how to vote,” he declared.
He thought it was all right for members of one family to contribute large amounts to a political campaign “if within the law.” This is where NAM influence is effective politically, individually as members, as has been demonstrated in the past, aside from such activities as those of its Information Committee in the propaganda way.
Bricker to speak here Sept. 19
Governor John W. Bricker of Ohio, Republican candidate for Vice President, will speak in Syria Mosque here Sept. 19, Republican County Chairman James F. Malone announced today.
The Bricker rally will be the first major campaign event on the Republican program here. In October, Governor Thomas E. Dewey, presidential nominee, will probably address a rally at Forbes Field.
Mr. Bricker will come here after a noonday appearance in Erie and the following day, Sept. 20, will speak in Harrisburg.
Need of new markets for goods cited
Industry told to expand outlets
By Edward A. Evans, Scripps-Howard staff writer
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