Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 11, Number 5, DeMotte, Jasper County, 19 December 1940 — WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS U. S. Isolationists ‘View With Alarm’ All Moves to Aid Britain and Greece; ‘Bottlenecks’ Worry Defense Leaders; Italian Drive Suffers New Reverses [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS U. S. Isolationists ‘View With Alarm’ All Moves to Aid Britain and Greece; ‘Bottlenecks’ Worry Defense Leaders; Italian Drive Suffers New Reverses

By Edward C. Wayne

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

TAKING HAND: V. S. Steps In While prominent isolationists “viewed with alarm" each successive step, it was evident that the United States was becoming daily a more vital factor in the various phases of World war 11. Summed up. these might be catalogued under (a) promised aid to Greece; (b) promised food credits to.. Spain; (c) placing aid to Britain even ahead of vital national defense; (d) preparations to place the navy immediately in shape to aid Britain in patroling ocean lanes. President Roosevelt’s assurance to King George of Greece that material' aid will come from this country, and immediately, was couched in terms that showed the nation ready to succor any and all peoples suffering from aggression. At the same, time that the state department and national defense council, busied themselves with this problem, Ambassador Weddell approached the more ticklish task of aiding Axis-friendly Spain. The Spanish admittedly were in dire need of food to tide them over the winter. Franco was unable to give immediate assurance of Spain’s non-par-ticipation in the war, but while America apparently was willing to waive a definite pledge, a demand was made that Spain announce her principle of non-intervention. The United States was anxious to give Spain food, partly from this country, partly beef from the Argentine, but equally as anxious that these provisions not fall into the hands of Axis belligerents. In addition to huge American commitments to give Britain planes, tanks and war material of all kinds, the need for merchant ships was being met through the purchase here of 150 ships, more than 100 of them to be constructed by one shipyard alone. NAZI SPEECH: Rival Worlds In a 90-minute address to German war workers, Adolf Hitler, told them and the world that the current war was a fight between two worlds, one of “special privilege," in which he included the United States, the other a world of equality and freedom as represented by Nazi Germany. He indicated that Britain would feel more and more the might of Nazi armed force. Expressing supreme confidence in Germany’s strength, Hitler promised his followers that the tempo of war would be stepped up until Nazi victory was assured. LAGGING: Bottlenecks Appropriating billions for defense production is one thing, getting the material another, as the U. S. defense leaders were finding out. The headache—bottlenecks! Number One of these was Engines— Number Two, Aluminum; Number Three, Landing Gears; Number

Four, Machine Tools, and Number Five, Guns. In spite of big increases in production at the Pratt-Whitney, Curtiss and Allison plants, facilities for making planes were still far ahead of the engines to make them go. Those in the know admit that U. S. commitments to Great Britain are such that our plants will not be able to delict. i ti i :14 s m quantity to tins country until around next September,. After that time the Ford plants, it was sa;d. will be geared up to make Pratt-Whitney engines in quantity, and the Packard factory will have the Rolls-Royce liquid-cooled motors in hand. These are essential for pursuit planes. Two other auto factories are surveying their ability to turn out airplane engines, but even if they work out the problem, they won’t be in production until late in 1941, well behind the Ford and Packard situation. As to aluminum, the country is increasing its production of the raw material rapidly, but there is a long lag between raw material and the sheets and forgings necessary to make turrets, mounts and fuselages. Next bottleneck was the landing gears, the shortage being in wheels, brakes and the air-compression cylinders necessary for the heavy types of bombers with retractable wheels. Factories are gearing up for these in mass production, but are far behind the plane factories. Machine tools, starting point in all mass production, constituted the biggest headache among the bottlenecks. Knudsen and his associates started on the machine tool problem first, knowing it would be most vital, but the lag here has been even greater than expected. One new machine tool, having to be built and turned out in mass production, may cause a lag of months in making airplanes on an assembly line basis. The guns referred to are of heavier caliber than those we formerly used on our planes. Here, again, the defense leaders have realized that guns are not designed and built in quantity in a day, and concentrated effort is being made in this direction. ITALY: Unrest at Home? Serious signs of Italian unrest at home matched continuing news of disaster at the Grecian front, although the lapse between occurrence and admission still was about ten days to two weeks. The Italians have to wait at least that long before learning what has happened to their boys “over there" across the smiling Adriatic. At first there were reports of constant successes as the Fascist war machine smashed into Grecian territory, sweeping the Greeks ahead of them as the defenders marshalled their forces swiftly and sought defendable positions for men and guns. Then the Evzones, those kilted mountaineers, began striking and Italian gains became losses, and the invaders were swept back across the Albanian frontier into a retreat that was steadily continued. It was 10 days after the fall of Pogradetz, important northern base, before the Italians learned of it officially. Northern Italy learned of it through their Jugoslavian neigh bors long before the press had it. The news of the abandonment of Porto Edda and Argirocastro was similarly delayed. Reports of rioting inside Italy, especially in northern cities, was persistent but unconfirmed officially, as Marshal Pietro Badoglio, popular hero, was summarily set down for the failure of the Albanian invasion.

HEROES: ° "ins of the S a The 20,000-ton 'merchant cruiser Carnavon Castle took its- place among sea heroes when it limped into Montevideo after telling of a “chase” fight of nearly 24 hours with an unidentified Nazi surface raider that has taken a heavy toll of British and neutral shipping. Once more, as in the case of the Graf Spec, the battle took place in South' Atlantic waters, tending to confirm the British belief that ports in that general neighborhood send out. ships which refuel and re-pro-vision the raiders. The Carnavon Castle, undoubtedly lighter in armament and slower in speed than the German raider, reported that it left its antagonist badly hit astern, and afire. Carnavon's skipper expressed the opinion that the raider had not Umg to survive. The merchant cruiser arrived in port hit a dozen times, with many killed and wounded, and listing heavily to port. Ballast tanks had been filled on purpose to accomplish this, and to lift her starboard side out of water, thus bringing huge holes at the waterline up out of the water, keeping the ship afloat. REDS: In School An aftermath of Dies committee revelations occurred in New York, where the American Legion took cognizance of hints that Communist party members were teaching in New York classrooms, and the revelations were sensational. No less than 24 teachers, many of them inu Brooklyn college, a cityowned institution, were found in colleges, high and grade schools who were charged with being Red party members. Instances of circulation of Marxist propaganda, also the teaching of Communist doctrines were uncovered, and the matter well-aired. CRASH: toother Tragedy Perhaps a mite smug over their wonderful record of safety in pas-senger-carrying, the plane lines had a rude shock when a mainliner crashed in Chicago, with the loss of many lives. Review of accident brought two things to the notice of investigators: (1) that Pilot Scott changed from one plane to another in Cleveland because he didn’t like the sound of one motor when he “revved" it up prior to a takeoff; (2) He had to circle about for 28 minutes in a blinding snowstorm over the Chicago airport before he could land. Six ships were “in line,” stacked up at thousand-foot intervals as they took turns coming into the port. The possibility of snow-blindness was mentioned, as at the last moment the pilot radioed ground forces that he “had a good view of the landing field” and was coming in. Suddenly a wing dipper and he crashed from 150 feet. Six died at once, and four later. Pilot, copilot and stewardess lost their lives. "OREIGN JOTTINGS: C. Berlin —Jan Kubelik, master violinist, was reported to have died in Prague at 60. Reckless of money, he died in comparative poverty and with his beloved Czecho-Slovakia crumbling around him. By his side was “Charles Dawson," a Hindu medical student who once heard Kubelik play, deserted his own life and studies to “stay forever" with “such a master.” CL Paris An “international incident” was the detention by Nazi occupation authorities of Mrs. Elizabeth Deegan, 40, a clerk in the American embassy. It took Washington days to find what had become of her. CL London Londoners who think German raiders are aiming “right at them" were disabused of this notion by British pilots, who reported that at usual bombing height, five miles up and more, “London looks as big as a book on the “floor” and bombers are lucky to hit the city, let alone particular objectives.