Coral Gables Historical Archive
Coral Gables Riviera
Friday, January 9, 1942, page 6 (of 8)
The page
The text of this pageRead by computer from the scan, so some words may be wrong. The page picture is the original.
CORAL GABLES RIVIERA
AN INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER Published every Friday by the Miami Riviera Publishing Co., 306 Coral Way, Coral Gables, Fla. Established January, 1926 Combined with the Dade County and Coconut Grove Times, 1929. ALBERT E. HARUM ---- President and Publisher JAMES B. MOORE ---------- Managing Editor Mailing Address, P. O. Box 704 Telephone 4-1634 Member, Florida Press Association National Editorial Association Represented in the National Advertising Field by the American Press Association, New York City SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Year by Carrier, Coral Gables and Six Months | $1.25 One Year | $2.00 Entered as second class matter May 21, 1926, at the Postoffice at Miami, Florida, under Act of March 3, 1879.
Let There Be No Light
On Sunday evening, between 10:15 and 10:45, the Miami area will have its first blackout test. This will be no game-but a deadly serious test of the area's ability to get ready in case of attack. Lieutenant T. Alan Bennett, U. S. Army Air Corps officer in charge of the air raid filter center here, characterized the test aptly when he said, "This time we have had plenty of preparation. There might come a time when we will not have two minutes for preparation." At 10:15 on Sunday the street lights will be flashed three times to supplement the whistle, siren and radio warnings. That will be the signal for every Coral Gables resident to turn out all lights that will show. Motorists should immediately pull to the curb and seek the shelter of the nearest building. Army and Navy planes will roar overhead, not to add reality to the scene, but to photograph the area from the air. These pictures will be carefully studied to find out where unco-operative persons have left betraying lights burning. It is to be hoped that every Gableite will co-operate to the fullest extent and that no lights will be revealed on the pictures of the Coral Gables area.
Tropical's New Deal
Tropical Park's winter meeting is now coming to a close, and despite a tote slump due to wartime conditions, in many respects it is by far the best season ever experienced at the racecourse. Under the new management of the Gables Racing Association, the entire complexion of the track has changed. No longer do we hear people refer to Tropical Park as a gambler's or tout's paradise. No longer is it whispered that the track is a headquarters for gangsters and a hangout for hoodlums. As a result, this year found the better element of racing enthusiasts coming in great numbers to the racing plant. By the "better element" we mean the true sportsmen, those who enjoy racing for the sport's sake, who know and admire good horseflesh when they see it. 'Tis true there has been a slackening in activity in the mutuel department, but the track has been compensated almost completely for this by a considerable increase in gate receipts made possible by the no pass rule. True patrons have made up the slump in the track's take from the "tote" cut and its loss of the breakage. The state, of course, under the new law, has all the best of it, with its 5 per cent heavier share in the mutuel take, plus the entire breakage. The racing itself has been tip-top, with larger fields and a better grade of competitors than ever before. The main events have been well fought, bringing to the fore such proven performers as The Chief, Sweet Willow, Benefactor, Total Eclipse and numerous other thoroughbreds who have been in the spotlight during recent months. Tropical Park has been given a new deal, one that will reap profits in both money and prestige in the spring meeting and in seasons yet to come.
Valuable Knowledge
During the weeks that have followed the declaration of war, this office has been deluged with calls from citizens, wanting to know what they could do to help in the defense effort. There are many things to be done, and gradually every citizen will be given some job to do. Many are being enlisted every day. In the meantime, there is something that any Gables resident can do-and should do. At the University of Miami registrations are now being taken for free courses in first aid, which will commence next Monday. These courses are a part of the program of the State Defense Division of the Red Cross. A knowledge of first aid is a valuable asset at any time and it is particularly important asset in wartime. These classes will not take much time, and those who attend them will gain valuable knowledge. Accidents can happen at home, just as they can on the battlefield. What is learned now can be used not only during the duration of the world conflict, but in the years of peace that will follow. Register today at the office of Harry E. Provin, main building.
WALTER LIPPMANN
Continued from Page One cannot be a phony war that it cannot be a defensive Maginot line war, that it cannot be a partial war with business as usual and subject at any time to renewed outbreaks of isolationism and defeatism and appeasement. For all the peoples of Europe this creates an altogether new situation. For the total commitment of America means that there can be no end to this war unless all the peoples of Europe help Hitler to defeat us or help us to defeat Hitler. Before December the seventh this clear choice had not been presented. It was conceivable that the European war might end in the defeat of Russia and the isolation or conquest of the British Isles. And as a matter of fact the actual policy of several of the European governments-that of Italy, of Vichy, of Finland, for example-has been based on this very assumption that the war could be ended-however unhappily for at least some-by a Hitler victory in Europe and the acceptance of his new order. We have been so preoccupied with events in the Pacific that we have scarcely had the time to realize how tremendously altered is the European position since December seventh. Yet during this fortnight Hitler, in addition to retreating in Russia and being defeated in Libya, has declared war on the United States. In this fortnight the peoples of Europe have been shown that even against his European enemies, and with only a little American help, the Nazi war machine is no longer invincible, and that the power which has yet to come out of America is now irrevocably mobilized and thrown into the scales. Thus there exists in Europe a reason for resisting which has not existed before-a reason based not only on the conviction of men that they would rather die than submit but on the manifest practical probability that resistance must in the end be successful. These are the foundations for our intervention in Europe. The first positive phase will have been achieved when we establish the alternative to Hitler's new order by a formal alliance with Britain and Russia, China, and the Netherlands to fight the war and to make the peace altogether, and then invite the legitimate governments to adhere to the pact. Such an alliance, accompanied by unity of command in the various theatres of war and by a pooling of supplies, is not only indispensable to the war; it is a political instrument of the first order with which to make contact with all our hidden and submerged allies throughout Europe. This alliance will not only represent the largest agglomeration of forces on earth. It will also make clear to Frenchmen and to Irishmen and to Finns and to Italians and to Spaniards, and to many Germans that they may stake their future not on a Russian victory along or on a British victory alone, but on a coalition, centric in the settlemetn which follows it will be America, the most invulnerable and the most disinterested as regards Europe, which will have the greatest reserve for the relief of their sufferings and the rehabilitation of their lives. During the last year American policy toward the European continent, though often criticized, has been wisely conceived. What was lacking to make it effective was the very thing it has now gained the total commitment of the United States in war and peace. This is what has been missing to make our policy convincing and, therefore, fully effective to the hesitant capitols and among the disillusioned and frightened peoples of Europe. They did not know whether the American nation would endorse the foreign policy of the President. Now they know that it will endorse it fully, and that a primary principle of that policy is that the liberation of Europe from Hitler is, as a matter of our own deepest self-interest, an American war aim. Our immediate business is to make this perfectly clear to them. For that reason we have the proper basis by refusing to recognize the declaration of war against the United States by Croatia, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Albania. We should now, I believe-once we have established the grand alliance of the fighting nations-go further and issue an emancipation proclamation to the peoples of Europe. In this proclamation we should state that we have not recognized and will not recognize as a valid declaration of war the act of any government which is occupied by Nazi troops; that, so far as we are concerned, the peoples of these countries are not our enemies, and that except for the Quislings among them, we shall not treat their nationals here or in Europe as alien enemies. We should then declare to all the peoples of the European continent who are occupied or directly threatened by Hitler that in so far as they have or may have lawful governments in exile, we shall recognize these lawful governments, including of course the Free French Empire in such parts of the French empire as are in the hands of the Free French. But we should state also that while we shall support any one who fights Hitler, it is not our intention to create artificial governments in exile for Germany or Italy or for any other nations where no government with a legitimate title now exists. Then we should proclaim the truth, which is that our object is the liberation of Europe and not the domination of Europe. With this object in mind we should declare that we shall never negotiate with the lawless governments of the aggressors nor to seek to impose on any part of Europe a government which is not lawfully accepted by the nation which that government represents. We should then make it clear to the involuntary allies of Hitler-to the Italians, the Finns, the Hungarians, the Bulgars-that the sooner they secede from the new order, and the more they contribute to overthrowing themselves, the better they shall be able to save them from the consequences of their entanglement. And to the neutrals we should make it increasingly clear that in so far as we have to shed our blood to keep open the seas to deliver supplies which they must have in order to live, we shall expect them to share some of the risks. For they must not base their neutral policy on the assumption that Hitler is a dangerous fellow and must not be offended whereas we are good-natured and will not mind if we are offended. (Copyright, 1942, New York Tribune, Inc.)
Message From Mars By BROWN
MARS GOLF BALL SHORTAGE TIRE SHORTAGE BROWN HELD! THAT ISN'T SATURN AND IT ISN'T MILLIONS OF MILES AWAY! PUBLIC
OUR TOWN by Jim Moore
JIM MOORE How are your leg muscles? Don't get us wrong this isn't an impertinent questiof. We just though we'd better warn you to start getting them in shape because you've got a lot of miles of walking ahead. Already we have rationing of tires and new automobiles. We hear that spark plugs will be next on the list and who knows what will come next? At any rate, Mr. and Mrs. Coral Gables had better be prepared to leave their cars in the garage for long periods of time, to be used only in cases of extreme necessity. So what are we going to use for everyday transportation? Well, the city busses will be running-and even though a slight fare increase is imminent, most everybody will be glad to pay the six and twelve cents to save wear and tear on the family jalopy. For those who want to combine a little health with solving the transportation problem, the bicycle is here as a ready solution We don't hesitate to predict that within the next few months you'll see many a prominent Gableite pedaling up and down the boulevards. We were calling on a friend the other day and got to talking about this very problem. As we discussed the pros and cons, he remembered that stored away in the attic were a couple of pairs of roller skates. We got a flashlight and after clambering around over old boxes and suitcases, we unearthed the skates. Our legs were a little shaky at first, but soon we were whizzing along the sidewalk with ease. It was a lot of fun, and if bicycle tires also become unobtainable, we know that we can fall back on the skates. (No pun intended.) And if anybody has an old pogo stick, we're willing to give that a try, too. This tire shortage gives rise to another problem that is going to trouble a lot of us before it's all over. With rubber unobtainable, tires are going to be pretty valuable. So a lot of people with no scruples are going to be pretty busy, stealing them off cars as their owners slumber peacefully in the wee hours. Only last week, car pilferers were reported operating in Coral Gables, and while no tires were taken, you can bet your boots that they will be soon. It behooves all of us who have garages to park the family buggy inside at night with the door securely locked. If not we'll be calling the police some morning with the dismal tale of a "shoeless" automobile. Ralph McCracken was in the other day and advanced a good idea along this line. Ralph suggested that we all register our tires (by number) with the police department. Then when they do run down a thief they can check his loot and return the tires with little difficulty. Furthermore, the registering of all tires would have a certain psychological effect and would tend to discourage many would-be tire thieves. We're sure that City Manager Curry and Captain Lou Reeves will welcome this suggestion and will do something about it. After all, the old saying about "an ounce of prevention" still goes. Curtailment of the use of our automobiles can, and probably will be bothersome. But with a little bit of humor and by looking at it the philosophical way-we can all get by with a minimum of vexation.
VICTORY
Age after age, man's noblest dream has been To overcome the hateful God of War; To view a world that is as wholly free As are the winds that roam the fretful sea. Aside, your years, that roll the veil of time, A corridor, that dwarfs the word sublime, Must open from the centuries' last night, Down which Today shall march with blinding light. The ear of faith tunes in the wistful song That Freedom flings the bravely gallant throng, To join the Anglo-Saxon rule of earth, The far-flung World Republic at its birth.
Mark Sullivan
The matter of labor legislation by Congress has entered a new stage. On Dec. 3 the House passed a bill restraining strikes and otherwise dealing with labor unions and labor relations The action was striking. The House picked out the most far-reaching of the pending labor bills, and passed it by a vote of 252 to 136-almost 2 to1. The action reflected a strong conviction, on the part of the House, about the need for such legislation. The common judgment was that the country generally held the same conviction. It was in response to strong pressure from the country that the House acted. After the sensational passage by the House interest focused on what would happen in the Senate. In that body the bill would ordinarily go first to the Committee on Labor and Education, headed by Senator Elbert Thomas, of Utah. It was felt that Senator Thomas, and a majority of his committee, would probably be reluctant to expedite any bill not desired by labor leaders. It was felt also that the Senate leader, Mr. Barkley, of Kentucky, would share this attitude. And it was felt that both reflected a similar attitude on the part of the Administration. The feeling about Senator Thomas' committee was brought out in an exchange of remarks between him and Senator Connally, of Texas. Mr. Connally had introduced a labor bill of his own-and had prudently arranged that it be handled, not by the Committee on Labor, but by the Judiciary Committee. Alluding to this and speaking in behalf of his own Labor Committee, Mr. Thomas said: "The Senator from Texas suggests that we have been lax." Senator Connally replied that he had not used the word "lax". But he added cryptically and humorously:: "As I ride along the road, I look across the fence and see a lot of gravestones." Senator Connally meant gravestones on bills having to do with labor which have languished and died in Mr. Thomas' committee. Because of this apprehension about the possible attitude of Senator Thomas and his Labor Committee, some pressure was put upon him by senators who desired action on the House labor bill. In response to this, Mr. Thomas said, on Dec. 8, that he was willing to expedite hearings on the House bill. He said that his committee "likely could be ready" to make a report the following week. However, during the ensuing week all action in the Senate or its Labor Committee on the House bill and all other bills dealing with strikes and labor unions was suspended.
This and That
SERVICE PLUS-This could only happen in Coral Gables. A city bus, filled with passengers, was going busily on its route when a tot of about 3 toddled out in the street in front of it. Lee Davis, the driver, stopped the bus. While passengers waited, he got out, picked up the baby and walked back about half a block to where he knew the child lived. He rang the doorbell, delivered the wandering infant to its frantic mother and then got the bus under way again amid praises from the passengers. DEFENSE IDEA-Mrs. Vincent Wyman advances a novel theory of how public benches will aid the present auto curtailment crisis. Mrs. Wyman feels that if the city will put benches at all bus stops, that more people will store their cars and use the busses. "People won't mind riding the busses if they can have a seat on which to rest while awaiting the public conveyances," the wife of the former Mayor explains. APPROACH SHOT-We learned a new way to approach an attorney the other day when we overheard "Dr." George Sapp talking to Attorney George O'Kell. "When you've got a 50-cent tooth to spare, I'd like to talk to you," the occulist said. The law business was so good that he got his conference right then and there. PERFECT RETORT-The University of Georgia press agent tells this one on one of the recent Orange Bowl heroes. Seems the player wasn't doing so well in his studies and was threatened with ineligibility. The coach suggested that he sit next to the star pupil and immediately his grades improved. The next disaster came when the coach was informed that the grid hero had been caught cheating on an examination. "How can you prove it?" asked the coach. The dean explained that the first 10 questions were answered word-for-word with the star pupil's answers. "So what?" parried the coach, "that's not positive proof." "We know," replied the dean, "but on the eleventh question the star student wrote 'I don't know' and your football star wrote, 'I don't know either.'" DE-BUNK-Jerry Hechler of the Optimist Club does his bit on the Defense Council, which makes certain demands on his private time. His wife enjoys kidding him about his new alibi. Says she: "Between Defense and De-office, soon there'll be no time for De-home and De-wife." STYLE VICTIM-Country Club of Coral Gables members, and their guests were a little startled Saturday night to behold a very beautiful young lady clad in slacks. To be sure, the slacks were dark, and handsomely cut, but slacks and all informal attire are strictly taboo at the formal Saturday night parties. However, the beautiful young blonde, date of Henry Cuici, famed golfing pro, was quite forgiven her strange garb. Victim of the pile up accident on the southern lower Florida Special that morning, the lady lost her luggage and her belongings-kept her pre-arranged date for dinner and dance however.
LABOR LAWS IN NEW STAGE
The reason was stated by Senator Connally in explaining why he was willing that his own bill be held in abeyance. Mr. Connally was willing, he said, in deference to "suggestions made by the Committee on Education and Labor, the leadership of the Senate, and the Administration." The reason for the request for delay from these three sources, and hence for the complete suspension of all action on any labor bills, was that the President was about to take a step of his own. Mr. Roosevelt announced that he was going to appoint an "industry-labor conference", to be made up of representatives of industry and representatives of labor. This conference, Mr. Roosevelt said he hoped, would arrive at a voluntary agreement on labor relations. Mr. Roosevelt appointed the members of his conference-twelve from industry, twelve from labor, divided equally between the Congress of Industrial Organizations and the American Federation of Labor. He called them together Dec. 17. He urged them to arrive at an agreement, "just as speedily as you possibly can-by tomorrow or the next day." "Tomorrow" was Dec. 18. That day the conference sat. They sat again on the next day. But they did not arrive at an agreement. At the close of the second day, Dec. 19, they said they would meet again the following week, Christmas week. Thus the situation stands in the Senate. In the Senate all action upon the House bill or any other bill dealing with strikes and labor is suspended. It is suspended at the desire of the Administration and in deference to the Administration's hope to bring about voluntary agreement through the industry-labor conference. Meanwhile the conference does not agree. If it continues not to agree, presumably we will see some other development. Even if the industry-labor conference comes to agreement, there will still be reason for the Senate to act on the House bill, or some other labor bill. For the scope of the industry-labor conference is limited. The conference aims merely at an agreement which will avert strikes in war industries for the duration of the war. The House bill, on the other hand, and other labor bills before the Senate, include general legislation, intended to be permanent, on labor relations in the broad sense-such as requirement of unions to register, and to make public accounting of their finances, requirement of a secret vote open to all the members of a union, or all the workers in a plant before a strike can be called; limitations upon mass picketing.