THE NOME NUGGET
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MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
Shipping Is Net*(h‘<l
The seriousness of the shipping need is illustrated by j
the statment recently of Rear Admiral John W. Green
slade, who told West Coast shipyard workers that 40,
000 military trucks are at a single East Coast port, wait
ing for ships to ferry them to war zones, and that at
one inland plant, 30,000 combat vehicles are ready to!
be shipped.
There facts emphasize the Admiral’s observation
that “we lost the Philippines and Singapore because
we did not have enough ships—combat and commer-:
cial.” He added: “We might lose Australia for the
same reason.” Finally, the Admiral explains that vic
tory or defeat “resolves itself into a simple and mathe
matical pattern—can we built ships fast enough ”
The destruction of shipping off the coast of North
America represents a serious loss in view of our short
age of tonnage. Gradually, it is believed, more effective
defense measures are being put into effect. This seems
to be indicated by the fact that heavy losses off Cape
Hatteras have been reduced although enemy U-boats
have scored successes in other areas, including the Gulf
of Mexico and the St. Lawrence River.
A White House statement admitted that the ship
ping shortage will continue until building gets into full
swing. It points out that in the first 130 days of this
year, 130 new vessels were delivered. This is 10 per
cent more than the number of ships built in 1941.
Declaring that ‘there is no lag today in cargo ship
building,” the White House explains that steel and
other materials which would go into new factories are
needed for immediate arms production and that mer
chant ships are being built in the United States “faster
than ever before in the history of the world.”
Grim Kacts
__
Let no amount of wishful thinking deceive you. Next
only to shipping, the rubber shortage is the most tragic
bottleneck facing this nation today.,In one respect, the
rubber situation is even grimmer than the maritime.
We are on the way to solving our shortage of ships. If
we have not quite turned the corner, we are about to,
but the alarming deficiency in rubber remains a major
problem. Our vaunted industrial capacity depends,
more than the layman realizes even yet, upon use of
the automobile, which in turn hinges upon rubber for
tires.
Take away our tires, immobilize our automobiles and
we bring creeping paralysis upon the marvelous plant
which we have builded and converted to supply the
anti-Hitler world wth armament and munitions.
Rubber is utterly essential to the task remaining be
fore us of destroying the ability of totalitarianism to
attack democracy.—Anchorage Times.
Davies Says Russia Will Last
“In Russia I have the greatest confidence, in its fight
ing strength, its courage, its morale. 1 believe the
will mean the eventual overthrow of Nazi power in the
will mean the eventual overthrow of Nabi power in the
world.” These are the words carried in press dis
patches of Joseph E. Davies, who served as Ambassa
dor to the Soviet Government from 193(5 to 1938, and:
the author of “Mission to Moscow.”
It is somewhat remarkable that Mr. Davies, an Am
erican capitalist, after an intimate acquaintance with
Russian leaders and an opportunity to understand Rus
sia. should express confidence in the ability to with
stand. it necessary, “the combined forces of Germany
and Japan.”
Mr. Davies, who is in much demand as a public speak
er, says that Stalin’s recent speech was significant be
cause “for the first time” he did not stress the peril
Russia faces.” Instead, the Russian leader spoke “pos
itively and aggressively of the task of driving the Nazi
invader from Russia.”
Mr. Davies points out that Japan, while successful
in deceiving the United States and Great Britain as to
its potential military powrer, was unable to deceive the
Russians. Morover, he records the encouraging fact that
Russia is receiving “magnifiscent support” from Eng
land and from America and that we are delivering
goods to Russia “in the great quantities” we promised.
Joseph E. Davis, former U. S. Ambassador to Soviet
Russia: “The combined forces of Germany and Japan
cannot defeat the Russian Empire this summer.”
Sir Stafford Cripps, British Lord Privy Seal: “There
must not be after this war those gross inequalities that;
. were an aftermath of the last war.”
1. S. and Russia Reach Amicable
Understanding Secret Conversations
WASHINGTON—Strictest secrecy has shrouded the
conversations which have been taking place between
the Russians, the United States and the British. The
Soviet Government has asked that no mention be made
of anv of the personnel taking part in the discussions,
and this has been rigidly observed.
However, it. can be revealed that U. S. officials are
highly pleased, have found the Russans very reason
able, and that some of the most important discussions
of the entire war—involving even peactime boundaries
have been taking place.
Two possible stumbling blocks were feared. One
was the Russian request for a U. S. declaration of
war against Finland. The other was the Russian de
j sire to map out her frontiers after the war is over.
However, neither proved difficult.
—
War Against Finland
The Russians long ago had asked the United States
to declare war on Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria and
Finland—all of which, except Finland, had declared
war on us. Secretary Hull, however, demurred,-said
that, these were mere puppet governments doing the
bidding of Hitler. So no action was taken.
But the Russians came back with some verv pointed
observation as to how well these “puppet"’ soldiers
were fighting at Odessa and Kerch and asked them if
we still considered them puppets.
During the recent, conversations, therefore, Roose
velt yielded to the Soviet and sent his message to Con
gress asking for a declaration of war against Hungary.
Rumania and Bulgaria, and Congress acted promptly.
In regard to war with Finland, however, we told
the Russians that it had not declared war against us,
that the presence of the U. S. legation in Finland gave
us an excellent military listening post and also help
ed to influence large groups of the Finnish people who
basically are much more with the United Nations than
with Hitler. The Russians agreed.
Russia's Future Boundaries
The question of post-war boundaries was much hard
er. Actually, this question was raised about two
months ago when Stalin sent a proposal to London
whereby the British were to agree to restore Russia’s
pre-World War boundaries — to include Lithuania,
Latvia, Estonia, part of Poland, and a large slice of
Rumania. The British, however, remembered the crit
icism heaped upon Lloyd George, Clemenceau and the
Allies for pledging Italy certain territory under the
Secret Agreement of 1915. So Churchill, stalling for
time, sent the agreement to Washington by Ambassa
dor Winant to get our reaction.
Our reaction was negative. We indicated to the Rus
sians, as diplomatically as possible, that such an agree
ment would be in violation of the Atlantic Charter.
Whereupon the Russians came back with the remind
er that these territories — Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
part of Poland and Rumania—were in Russians hands
when the Atlantic Charter was signed, so it did not
apply to them. Here the matter rested until a coupU?;
of weeks ago, when a Russian emissary in London se
cured a British agreement that Russia’s pre-1914 bor
ders would be reinstated. Roughly, the Soviet was to!
get: (1) The three Baltic states; (2) An eastern strip
of Poland beginning at a point west of Vilna and fol
lowing a line south through Lwow; (3) All of Bess
arabia, Moldavia and Bucovina, the three big Ruman
ian provinces' which formerly were Russian.
This British-Russian agreement was then put before
the United States—and fireworks were expected.
—
FDR On The Spot
Roosevelt was in a tough spotN He could not enter
into a secret deal regarding the boundaries of Europe
without risking all sorts of political fireworks in the.
Senate. And yet he did not want to offend our most
potent ally — Russia.
So very firmly, but politely, he took the position
that the United States could make no commitments!
regarding Europe, that Europe was not our bailiwick,;
and furthermore that it would only create dissension :
among the United Nations to begin any parcelling up
of territory before the peace conference. Russian dip
lomacy has a habit of pressing for every possible ad
vantage, if they see any sign of weakening on the part
of the government across the table. But in this case
there was no sign of Roosevelt weakening, and the
Russians accepted the American position with good
grace.
Other questions discussed included a second front ag;
ainst Hitler by England and the United States; also a :
second front against Japan from Siberia. Information 1
regarding this phase of the negotations cannot be dis
closed except to say that American conferees were
highly pleased with the results.
Note:- It probably was no coincidence that Japan’s I
raid on Alaska was staged at a time when closer co
operation between the U. S. and the USSR regarding!
Alaska seemed just around the corner.
Washington Merry -Go-Round, by Drew Pearson & Robert S. Allen!
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Overtime Pay For Men On Salary
—
SUPREME COURT SAYS WHITE COLLAR
WORKERS GET EXTRA PAY
—
WASHINGTON, June — In a decision affecting se
eral million “white collar” workers, the Supreme Court
upheld the Government’s contention that additional
compensation for overtime must, in the absence of a
contract for a specific hourly wage, be paid employes
even though they receive a fixed salary above the am
ount required by the Wage and Hour Law.
Two decisions were delivered bv the court on this
question. In the one decision delivered by Justice Stan
ley F. Reed, the Tribunal asserted that the Wage and
Hour Act “is designed to require payment for over
time at time and a half of regular pay where they pay
above the minimum as well as where regular pay is
at the minimum.” This 8 to 1 decision applies to the
Overnight Motor Transportation Company of Balti
more on a suit for extra compensation sought by a for
mer employe.
In a 5-4 decision delivered by Justice James F.
Byrnes, the Court held that the A. H. Belo Corporation,
publisher of the Dallas. Texas, Morning News, and
owner of Radio Station WFAR is within its rights in
basing overtime compensation on an hourly wage fixed
contract. Justice Reed explained that his decision in
the Overnight Motor case differed from the newspaper
case in that the latter contract of a “specified hourly
rate and not less than time and a half overtime” with
a guaranty of a fixed weeky sum, requires the employ
er to pay more than the weekly guaranty “where the
hours of the workers at the contract rate exceed that
sum.”
It’s Not Too Early
Now and again it is said that we must not talk of the
peace and of postwar problems. All we must do now,
it is argued, is to fight the war and win it, allowing no
other aim to divert our energies. All this sounds very
well-intentioned, but it does not stand scrutiny. TherP
would be little point in making all the sacrifices this
war will entail if we were fighting only for survival.
We ought to define and plan for the postwar settle
ment, and the postwar adjustment here at home, be
cause that will give meaning to the effort and the sac
rifices we are making from day to day.
It is often said that we won the last war, and then
lost the peace. This is not quite true. We helped im
mensely to win the last war, and then in 1919 we did
not lose the peace but threw it away. And we shall
throw it away again, by retreating into a pretended
isolation after the victory, unless now while the war
is waged we build the public sentiment to support a
courageous, enlightened foreign policy.
There can be enduring peace, after the Fascist dic
tatorships are vanquished, only if the United States
takes its rightful role as one of the leaders in the world
community.-We do not seek world hegemony for the
postwar epooh, but a proper share in the orderly gov
ernance of the world, so that it may be peaceful and
increasingly prosperous.
We must be thinking also of the postwar problems
closer to home. There is the task of liquidating vast
government enterprises, needed in war but too closely
akin to dictatorship for us to permit in peacetime. We
must be planning the transition from war production,
to the pursuits of peace, so that we may escape the
horrors of economic collapse.—Cincinnati Enquirer.