Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 11, Number 3, DeMotte, Jasper County, 5 December 1940 — WEEKLY MEWS ANALYSIS Key Albanian Cities Fall as Greeks Continue to Drive Back Italy’s Army; Turks Declare Martial Law in ‘Crisis’; Murray Heads CIO as Lewis Resigns [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WEEKLY MEWS ANALYSIS Key Albanian Cities Fall as Greeks Continue to Drive Back Italy’s Army; Turks Declare Martial Law in ‘Crisis’; Murray Heads CIO as Lewis Resigns

By Edward C. Wayne

(EDITOR’S NOTE—When opinion* are expressed in these columns. they are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) (Ttplpawert by Western Newspaper Union.>

BACK DOOR: War in Reverse Events on the Albanian and nearby fronts gave military experts what they considered proof that the grand British‘plan of conducting the war from now on will be to knock out Italy first, then turn attention to Germany. Hence Europe was treated to > a war in reverse. Although England was continuing bombing raids against military objectives on German and occupied European bases including Norway, chief attention was focused on Italy, both on the continent and in Africa. To full reports on the Taranto affair were added the fall of Koritza, accomplished with British air aid, and further Greek successes were accompanied by word that British territorials were fighting side by side with Greeks in the snowy and mountainous terrain of the Albanian frontier. Mussolini, after denyihg all British and Greek claims of victory, two days later was the first to announce to the world the fall of Koritza and that a major defeat hpd met Italian arms. Gen. John Metaxas, handsome Greek leader, was hailed as the savior of the nation from the Italian menace, and the numbers? of prisoners taken were succinctly summed up as “too many to handle.” MONKEY WRENCH: In Diplomacy? Germany’s diplomatic maneuvers, usually believed forerunner to huge military operations, continued to be watched closely in half a dozen capitals, and wonder was expressed again whether perhaps Soviet Russia might throw a monkey wrench into the proceedings again. Balkan resistance to Axils domination showed signs of crumbling, with Hungary first to give in to Nazi demands, and Rumania showing final collapse, though it was pointed out that the latter was already in Nazi hands. At this moment, Russia stepped in with twO mpves, the significant character of which was evident, but the meaning of which was not at once ascertainable. Russia recalled Schwarzkev, Moscow’s ambassador to the R,eich, and replaced him with another commissar. Russia sent a warning to her little Slavic neighbor, Bulgaria, to be slow and careful about joining fully in the Axis plans. Tass issued a flat denial, publicly, that Russia had had any hand in Hungary’s joining the Axis. These three moves were projected on the diplomatic screen for what

they were worth, speculators wondering mostly about the “imonkey wrench” angle. Dictator Josef Stalin has a record of throwing “monkey wrenches' into international affairs. They can’t forget the famous “treaty of Tilsit” in the Napoleonic war, and many are still betting that in the last analysis Russia will prove the turning point in the upsef of the Axis hopes—if they are to be upset. TURKEY: l xain to Fore Declaration of martial law by Turkey throughout all the European part of her nation brought her again to the fore as a major factor in developments on the southeastern front of the world war.

The Turks, expressed their own attitude as follows: "If the Germans are to §id Italy against Greece, Russia will not be willing to sit idle. “However, even if Russia gives her consent, Turkey will defend herself. “Bulgaria must be kept kloof from this newest move.” So 5 Turkey, joining Russia in the warning to Bulgaria, evidenced that she was on the threshold of entrance into the war on the anti-Axis side. The counter diplomatic move was coming from Von Papen, who was believed ready to offer Turkey a huge slice of France’s Syrian territory if she would agree to remain aloof while the Germans go down through the Balkans and knock out Greece. Observers felt there \yas little chance that Turkey would accept, fearing rather Axis domiiiiation of the Dardanelles than wishing a slice of territory she could take over herself any time she desired S.S.S.: Stress ... Strikes . Sabotage The defense front in th'4 United States moved into the secorid of the phases that always have confronted this nation in times of industrial stress. After a series of incidents that were widely interpreted as sabotage, strikes broke out in key in-

dustries in widely separated sections of the country. I Leading squabbles involved the Aluminum Company of America, a plant employing 7,500 workers, and the Yultee Aircraft corporation at work on government orders totaling $84,000,000. Strike fever spread to Baltimore, where 2,000 city workers went out, demanding more money and pay for overtime, most serious public employees’ strike in city’s history. The Aluminum strike was over company’s refusal to discharge,one employeewho owed sl2 back C. I. O. union dues. The Vultee shutdown, also a C. I. O. matter? was blamed by; U. S. Attorney General Jackson on "Reds.” Workers were demanding raises of 50 to 75 cents an hour in pay. Back of these scenes of labor stress stood the Dies committee, probing and publishing, charging the Nazis with responsibility for much and the Soviet agents with the rest of it all. Jackson whipped back at Dies, stating he felt that the Dies group was accomplishing nothing but breaking down the public confidence in the ability of the G-men to solve crime and keep order and safety in the nation. The C. I. O. closed its convention by electing Philip Murray to John L. Lewis’ post, Lewis thus carrying out his “step-down” promise of the presidential campaign. The C. I. O. then announced it would attempt to organize the Ford .Motor plant, and in the same breath .asked governmental investigation of any affiliations the company might !have with Nazi interests.

TWO MORE: Destroyers

Down at Kearney, N. J., they launched two more destroyers for Uncle Sam’s navy. • The two new ones were called the Edison and the Ericsson, names that dovetailed nicely. The pair were named after Thomas Alva Edison, the greatest of inventors, and John Ericsson, who invented the famous Monitor warship in the Civil war. The Monitor, it will be remembered, defeated the Merrimac in the first battle between ironclads in-the history of the world, Tom Edison's son. Charles, is gov-ernor-elect of 'New Jersey. , His mother sponsored the Edison destroyer. A great-great-grand-niece of old Ericsson sponsored the sister ship, Mrs. Ruth Wallgren. The ar-j ehitect of- the Monitor was born in Sweden, where they haven’t yet forgotten him, Freneh These were two of the new American destroyers. England had obtained some 50 of the old ones, and was asking for more, like Oliver Twist. Meanwhile, France still had 50-60 destroyers, and also 50-60 submarines, and big ones at that. But one French battleship was out of the picture: It was reported from Madrid that a big 22,000 tonner of the Paris class was sitting at Gibraltar. Over this Frenchman flew the white naval ensign of the British fleet, and on board there was a crew of typical Limies. Just how it got there, under foreign control, nobody seemed quite to know, but everybody admitted this Paris class-mate was a valuable sea prize. DIPLOMATS: In and Out Two diplomatic travels caught public attention, one returning from Europe to the United States, Lord Lothian, and the other leaving the United States for France, new ambassador to Vichy, Retired RearAdmiral Leahy. Leahy, taking Bullitt’s post after it was reportedly offered to and declined by General Pershing, was said to have been sent to France with friendly words from the White House, and offers of American aid to the destitute in occupied France during the winter. It was not clear how this country planned to get the food to France in the face of Brittain’s final decision to continue a total food blockade, \&ord of which was being brought back to this nation by Lothian. The British ambassador, after a visit to his homeland to check up on war progress and Britain’s war needs, was to ask this country for still stronger war aid. Watchers figured that much of what Lothian wants for his country will be unobtainable until congress is in position to extend huge credits to London. As the ambassador asked for wider aid to Britain, President Roosevelt announced army’s newest and biggest bombers were earmarked for Britain in a trade for airplane motors, also in process of manufacture. These bombers, with 3,000-mile range fully loaded with tons of bombs, will be used at once in sharpening the attack on German objectives, British war leaders said. MISCELLANY: Bombs Two restaurarit bombings, one in Philadelphia and the other in downtown Cleveland, were American repercussions of the Greco-Italian war, according to preliminary investigations. T. B.—Medical men announced that Promin, new drug of the sulfanilamide group, was being tried out as an aid in combatting tuberculosis.

Birds —The Bronx zoo traded a touraco for a kea, swapping with the Washington zoo. A touraco is an African cuckoo and a kea is a New Zealand bird with the slightly odd penchant for breaking sheeps’ backs with its beak. / Suicide —Dr. Mortirrfer J. Adler, U. of Chicago professor, suggested all the high school and college teachers of English commit suicide (academically), resign their jobs and allow some better method of educa tion (like that at St. John’s college, Annapolis) rush into "the vacuum.' Oil —A huge still at an Arkansas oil refinery was wrecked by a mys tery explosion. G-men were called to investigate. Roof— The roof of the Capitol at Washington being a bit weak, congress was moved out so that it could be repaired.

RUSSIA’S STALIN Monkey wrench thrower.

ROBERT JACKSON He blamed the Reds.

CHARLES EDISON An honor for his father.