anaheim-gazette 1928-05-17

THE ANAHEIM GAZETTE ESTABLISHED 1870 HENRY KUCHEL, Editor and Proprietor ISSUED EVERY THURSDAY SUBSCRIPTION PER YEAR $2.00 SIX MONTHS 1.25 THREE MONTHS .75 Entered at the Anaheim, California, Post Office as second class matter. A PRIVATELY OWNED MARINE Another important legislative policy has been advanced towards successful achievement with the framing of the new shipping bill by the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. Under the leadership of Representative Wallace B. White, Jr., of Maine, chairman, the committee has reported to the House a constructive measure which will assist materially in creating what President Coolidge vigorously urged in his last annual message and what public opinion of the country seems to demand—an adequate, privately owned merchant marine. The bill is now on the calendar. While the bill may not provide all of the facilities needed, it is an encouraging and substantial movement in the right direction—that of taking the government out of the shipping business and making it possible for private interests to render our much needed shipping service. Prospects for passage of the bill at the present session are good. As a result of patience and co-operation, Chairman White was able to get practically unanimous approval of the proposed act from his committee. Representative Ewin Davis of Tennessee, the ranking Democrat, has announced that he will support it, which is taken as assurance that the Democratic House leadership will aid, rather than obstruct, speedy action on the new measure. Senator Wesley L. Jones of Washington, author of Prospects for passage of the bill at the present session are good. As a result of patience and co-operation, Chairman White was able to get practically unanimous approval of the proposed act from his committee. Representative Ewin Davis of Tennessee, the ranking Democrat, has announced that he will support it, which is taken as assurance that the Democratic House leadership will aid, rather than obstruct, speedy action on the new measure. Senator Wesley L. Jones of Washington, author of the Jones bill and chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has indicated that he would accept such a bill as has been reported if the House passed it, despite the fact that his own bill would continue government ownership and operation. The terms of the new House bill are entirely reasonable. They create nothing new but amplify and make practical a number of existing practices. The construction loan fund, from which the Shipping Board is authorized to make loans to aid in the construction of American ships, is increased from $125,000,000 to $250,000,000 and its conditions liberalized. The old mail pay law is brought up to date by giving the Post Office Department authority to make long term mail contracts at reasonable rates for both passenger and cargo carriers. The present law, authorizing the enlistment of certain members of the crews of merchant ships in the Merchant Marine Naval Reserve, is broadened to provide enlistment for three months with compensation for such service from the navy. The Shipping Board is authorized to sell ships on a vote of five of its seven members. There still remains the problem of the difference in construction costs between American and foreign built ships, and this will have to be considered in the future. The new bill, however, meets many pressing needs. Under its provisions the sale of government-owned ships and services should go forward steadily, to the benefit of the country and to the encouragement of private operators. The members of the House Committee seem to have done a good job. PEACE OR WAR? We are hearing a great deal from the pacifists professional and otherwise, in the United States about the horrors of war. Everyone agrees that war is horrible and nobody in America, we believe, wants another experience with it if it can be honorably avoided. There is no war spirit in America. There never has been a militant spirit and into no great conflict in which we have been engaged have we entered until all reasonable means of continuing peace had been exhausted. The pacifists and all other Americans are of course within their rights in denouncing war. The trouble is that the pacifist drive does not stop here, but goes on in an effort not only to increase the sentiment for peace, already overwhelming, but to induce the people to lay aside all weapons of defense, to adopt a policy of non-resistance, a policy which has always been fatal and which will never work until human nature has been changed to such a beatific condition that no rules against war will longer be necessary. All Americans want peace, but most of them are practical enough to know that in order to assure peace we must be prepared to defend ourselves against attack. The United States is now the richest nation in the world. Suppose, then, we sink our navy, abolish our army organization and teach the youngsters it is wrong not only to want to fight, but even to want to take any military training or wear any uniform that smacks of soldiery. In a few years we would get out of these difficulties. All Americans want peace, but most of them are practical enough to know that in order to assure peace we must be prepared to defend ourselves against attack. The United States is now the richest nation in the world. Suppose, then, we sink our navy, abolish our army organization and teach the youngsters it is wrong not only to want to fight, but even to want to take any military training or wear any uniform that smacks of soldiery. In a few years we would get into a decidedly lamb-like condition, and when we have arrived at that state with all of our wealth and resources we would fall prey to the first designing nation which saw an opportunity to gain plunder by attacking Uncle Sam. And would any other nation come to our rescue? Not at all. The nation unprepared loses caste in the game of world politics. We have made several gestures toward disarmament and what has been the result—only to forfeit for the United States the chance it had to secure the biggest and best navy in the world. Is there any immediate chance for disarmament? Ask the leaders in any European country and see what you learn. Of course they are all for reducing armament—so they will tell you—but there are so many complications in European politics at this time that it would not be politic. And it wouldn't be politic either. Europe has always had these complications, and there is no present prospect that they will be ended. If at any future time the League of Nations can succeed in bringing about a better spirit in Europe, all well and good. But as for Uncle Sam, if he hates war, and we all agree that he does, the best way to avoid it will lie in the plan which will make us able to repel all invaders. We will all hope that the invaders will never come, but to destroy our facilities for meeting them would only serve as an invitation. OUR NEXT STEP THE Gillette resolution, designed, as it has been described in the Senate, to "stir up the President" on the World Court protocol with a view to bringing about American adherence to the court. Has brought out a very forceful statement of the opposing view by Representative Tinkham of Senator Gillette's own state. Instead of urging the President to resume conversations with the powers of the court protocol, Mr. Tinkham would urge upon the executive the view that honesty and dignity require the immediate withdrawal of the government's conditional offer of adherence to the court. This, we think, is a timely and well spoken word, and one that the World Court powers ought to have heard long ago. ANAHEIM GAZETTE We may have to send another Relief for the Farm Relief Expedition. By Albert T. Reid FARM RELIEF POLITICAL DELLE ISLE STRAITS Albert T. Reid THE REAL MENACE In concluding his address before the national convention of the Daughters of the Revolution, Captain George L. Darte, adjutant general of the M. O. W. W., said recently: "In conclusion, may I say I have no fear of a red army taking possession of our country by force of arms. It doesn't have to be done that way! The same results can be accomplished through a social or economic revolution. I sound this note of warning, that unless we take, cognizance of what is going on, and wake up, we are going to get—sometimes—just the sort of government we deserve by our apathy." There is much in this statement with which the student of American political and social affairs will agree. Our danger is not the red army of Russia in a militant red army in America. The young American, secure in his home and his club, who answers all questions of doubt by asserting that no red army has attack the United States, is always away from the mark. Communism does not grow by frontal attack, and could not so grow in America. If our present fabric of government ever is changed it will not be red revolution, but by a gradually sapping away of the general belief in the ideals of our government and our social order. And there is more sapling of this kind being done than the smug, non-believing American imagines. At the bottom, comparatively few in number, are the out and out social revolutionaries. But in the ascending scale are thousands of others busy boring from within, seeking to cast doubt on constitutional government, on our religion, on the home, on the theory of individualism and every other element which goes to make up modern society. These borers are not all of the same stripe or the same complexion, nor are they all located in the same social strata. Some of them even are in our schools and colleges, and our churches, emerging at patriotism, ridiculing our histories, attempting to substitute internationalism for sound patriotic doctrine, advocating new forms of religion or no religion at all, denouncing the foreign and domestic policies of the United States government, lauding Russia and everything which emanates from the red government, teaching theories which they think are new but which in matter of fact are as old as human frailty itself—in fact doing everything possible to weaken the faith of the people of the United States in the present economic and social structure. "COUNTERFEIT SPEECHES Residents of Washington are spared the flood of congressional speeches that inundate other sections of the country. Testimony on the amount of congressional matter passing through the folding room has been given by William Tyler Page, clerk of the House, and Bert W. Kennedy, doorkeeper. During the sixty-ninth congress 44,620,000 copies of speeches and documents were mailed from the capitol to wastebaskets throughout the land. This year being a presidential year, almost 6,000,000 such pieces of useless information have been sent out already. In considering these figures it becomes possible to understand why it is that members of the House fight so often and with such determination for leave to extend their remarks in the Record. The maker of such an address may have enjoyed the privilege of the floor for no more than thirty seconds, but the extension of his remarks may cover several pages. There is no way for the "folks back home" to distinguish a counterfeit speech from a real one, and although it is supposed to be no longer permissible to dot one of these phantom addresses with "applause" and "laughter," everybody's doing it. There is one discouraging feature in the report on the state of the folding room made by the two House officials. It appears that the radio is not reducing the number of congressional speeches mailed to constituents, as was hoped for. Soon after broadcasting became general there was some diminution in the amount of mail, but the figure is getting back to normal. The total of speeches continues to embarrass the postoffice service. UNDIGNIFIED PROCEEDING Has the Honorable, the Senate of the United States, deliberately adopted a program to make our Presidency a joke and a matter of backstairs gossiping? It is impossible to study the recent action of this new presidential campaign smelling committee in sum- moning the various proposed candidates for the Democratic and Republican nominations to appear before its members and stand and deliver information as to their plans, resources and activities to date. It will be agreed that it is wholly proper for the legislative branches of our government to propose ways in which the reckless spending of money, even for the support of presidential ambitions, may be curbed. It is wholly within the province of the committee to prepare and adopt a formula as to how much money may be expended and for what purpose. But when it comes to calling on the principals themselves to appear and make their statements, it is impossible to escape the feeling that these very young elder statesmen have run beyond the rule of rhyme or reason. The catechising of Albert C. Ritchie, chief executive of the state of Maryland; of Herbert Hoover, the secretary of commerce; of Alfred E. Smith, governor of the state of New York; of Frank O. Lowden, former chief executive of Illinois, and who had the great honor of being nominated by the Republican party for the vice presidency; of the Honorable Charles Curtis, the respected and dignified leader of the Senate—the whole thing leaves a bad taste in the mouths of the people. We today are all bewailing the popular lack of interest in our elections, and our failure to treat even our party candidates with dignity. Moves like this do no correct, that situation. They covetily masa to every vote slacker an additional reason for his or her absence from the polls. TWO VETOES ON THE WAY It is well agreed that two presidential vetoes are now in making at the White House, one on the McNary-Haugen bill, and the other on the flood prevention measure. It is generally agreed also that both of these vetoes will be sustained. The time is past for any attempted labored discussion of the merits or demerits of the McNary-Haugen bill. That December congress when it comes in will begin a struggle anew on this matter is generally accepted. Now that the Sinclair trial is over, we have the usual crop of fellows who can tell you that they knew all the time he wouldn't be convicted. UNDIGNIFIED PROCEEDING Has the Honorable, the Senate of the United States, deliberately adopted a program to make our Presidency a joke and a matter of backstairs gossiping? It is impossible to study the recent action of this new presidential campaign smelling committee in sum- Now that the Sinclair trial is over, we have the usual crop of fellows who can tell you that they knew all the time he wouldn't be convicted. TRYING TO BOSS ME AROUND, EH?! I'M NOT AFRAID—I'll SHOW HER WHOSE THE REAL BOSS YET! OBSERVATIONS BETTER BE SAFE THAN SORRY WHEN a plebian tunes up his flivver and goes up the boulevard, as he jogs along he comes across many places that look tempting and cozy, and pulls in for a look and a listen. Some of the rendezvous look like a circus or something, but after the ruralite gets settled, he finds out its real estate. He hears all about the country—finds out more in a minute than he ever knew before in all his life. He learns to his amazement that a 30-minutes option has been taken out on a particularly good corner lot, and he is admonished to hurry if he wants the 50-foot strip adjoining. He hears about the wealthy eastern syndicate that has under consideration the purchase of a block of lots for a site for a $10,000,000 skyscraper. And if the party with a hankering to get rich quick desires to make his wad, now is the allotted time to go to escrow for a few lots nearby. Things are so rosy that quite a few fall for the gaff, while others who are not subject to hysteria go home to sleep on the proposals for a night or two, and then decide to pass them up. STRONG PULL LONG PULL AND A PULL TOGETHER A PROMINENT business man from Idaho, visiting the Southland, in a speech the other day said: "California's phenomenal population growth and general development in recent years is helping the entire West to greater prosperity, and neighboring states, instead of feeling irritation at seeing their own efforts outdone, are pulling for a bigger and better California as hard as any native chamber of commerce secretary." LOOKING FOR AN EVEN BREAK UNCLE REUBEN rises to remark that such words as "svelte," "sans," and "ylept" be stricken from the vocabulary. People who are tongue-tied, or those who stutter, or those who have stage-fright when in company, are handicapped when trying to use them. "Statistics" also causes a lot of trouble, if you're not sober. LOOKING FOR AN EVEN BREAK UNCLE REUBEN rises to remark that such words as "svelte," "sans," and "yclept" be stricken from the vocabulary. People who are tongue-tied, or those who stutter, or those who have stage fright when in company, are handicapped when trying to use them. "Statistics" also causes a lot of trouble, if you're not sober. LOOKS LIKE CO-OPERATION FLEW OUT THE WINDOW RECENT cartoon, appearing in a Los Angeles newspaper, wherein a public official receives a pictorial castigation, is important, if true. REMINISCENT OF A DESERT RAT MAN who has lived long on the desert button-holed a new found friend and vouchsafed the information that if a person roams those barren wastes for long he will commence to "see things," as the saying goes. It's the heat that causes the hallucinations. For instance, things that were real long ago—but now forgotten—will periodically come back to him and he again is in high spirits and actually believes the same conditions exist now as they did then. His mind wanders backward; he visualizes the happenings of the dim past as being of a present-day occurrence. Anyhow, the point is, the wanderlust has a grip upon him and he becomes disillusioned. CARRYING WATER ON BOTH SHOULDERS SPEAKER at a city club handed out a bouquet to travelers abroad, in the following terse manner: "Europe's respect for our eighteenth amendment and for American sincerity and consistency is not increased by the example of those who vote dry in the United States and drink wet in London and Paris." TAKING A SHORT CUT YOUNG woman who had received a $30 compensation check from the government raised the figures so the numerals read $30,000, and she was arrested. The lady said she needed the money—but did not get it. This check raising business is a fascinating pastime, but it's darned dangerous. The lady no doubt will have a long time to think the matter over in a place where she won't need any money. SAY, BOY, THAT'S A NEW ONE! MAN who has been arrested, charged with manslaughter, for having struck and killed a boy with his car, and who failed to stop and render aid, says in his defense that he was suffering from "fear and mental funk." COMING OVER FOR LOCAL COLOR? PREMIER of an European country (who there awhile back issued an edict that all bachelors over there must either marry or pay a license) is going to pay us a visit, and maybe will look into the companionate marriage business. BE SURE AND GET THIS STRAIGHT LARMING reports drift in from off the Arabian desert that a holy war is on the tapis. It is authoritatively stated that the king of Hejdjazz and the sultan of Puejhd are planning to COMING OVER FOR LOCAL COLOR? A PREMIER of an European country (who there awhile back issued an edict that all bachelors over there must either marry or pay a license) is going to pay us a visit, and maybe will look into the companionate marriage business. BE SURE AND GET THIS STRAIGHT ALARMING reports drift in from off the Arabian desert that a holy war is on the tapis. It is authoritatively stated that the king of Hejdjazz and the sultan of Puejhd are planing to swoop down on the Whahabises who are unfriendly. The former, with their harems, are cavorting around in automobiles and are said to be reckless drivers. WASHED UP ON THAT DEAL DOWN south a man became conscious stricken the other day and sent a nickel to a hotel man as pay for a bar of soap which he said, in a spasm of extravagance, he lifted from off the shelf when he checked out, about five or six years ago. MUSTA GOT THAT "ATMOSPHERE" A REPORTER said when that arch child killer was leaving the courtroom the other day, he winked at a blonde actress, who sat nearby. The gal no doubt went away willing to call it a perfect day. ONE REASON WHY THE MILLS ARE GRINDING IT IS estimated that the tourist business in California amounts to almost ninety million dollars annually. It is said at least a quarter of a million persons from all parts of the world come to this state each year. The stay of the tourist averages about twenty days and each person, it is stated, spends about $15 a day. SLIDING OFF THE ANXIOUS SEAT AGAIN the palpitating public may roll over and go to sleep, now that a blonde actress has set all rumors at rest that she is to marry a well-known mauler, by emphatically declaring it is not so; and the gal clears the matrimonial air by saying that while she and the man have been seen together quite often of late, they are just good pals, that's all. ON THE TIPTOE OF EXPECTANCY SOME people think that the howling of a dog is a hideous noise. But then there are others who believe differently. For instance, a fellow who has a sick uncle (who is wealthy) defines a dog's howl as being music to his ears. Selah!