Statesville Daily Record from Statesville, North Carolina • Page 4

EDITORIALS AND FEATURES STATESVILLE DAILY RECORD "Iredell's Leading Newspaper" Statesville Daily Record National Advertising Represenlatlre DeLISSER, 11 East 44th Street NEW YORK CITY Published Every Afternoon Except Sunday C. E. MIDDLESVYORTH, Publisher 117 North Center at Second Claaa Matter at the FostoBce at SUtMville, N. nnder the Act of March 3, 1879. Subscription Rate (By Carrier) Weekly 15c (By Mail) Iredell, Wilkes, Rowan, Davie, Alex- aider and Catawba Couitiei 54.50 per year Elaewkere IB the United Statei $6.00 per year FULL LEASED UNITED PRESS WIRE NBA SERVICE AND UNITED FEATURE SERVICE MEMBER OF North Carolina Press Association Southern Newspaper Publishers' Association Carolinas' Advertising Executives' Association MONDAY, APRIL 17, 1944 some embarrass- So let us see if Thought For Today The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of 10:29.

An Embarrassing Question A recent discussion here of Cornell University's much-maligned course in Contemporary Russian Civilization raised the question: Why do we hate Communism? There is no doubt that most of us do. And it was all quite normal until came into the war on Russia's side. Now, in the face of Russia's invaluable contribution, there is ment attached to this emotion. we can isolate some of the reasons why most Americans dislike Communism. In the first place.

Communism conflicts with American individuality. The majority of us still believe that every boy has a theoretical chance to be President or to make a million: that we can work where, when and at what we like: thai our advancement is limited only by our lack of ability or energy, not lack of opportunity. Secondly, it conflicts with American tradition. Few Americans have read Marx's "Das Kapital." Fewer still have 'a composite picture of modern Russian Communism. We are suspicious of political importations.

We may twist the Constitution to our own purposes occasionally, but the document is justly and generally revered. Communism runs afoul of the average American's acquisitive instinct. Talk of Communism disturbs the complacency stemming from generous stores of worldly goods. Communism denies the precious right to think for oneself. Our political opinions, though they may arrive at the same conclusion, usually take individual courses.

It isn't natural for us to love and hate the same things. The typical native Communist is also an alienating influence, though probably few Americans really know him; since the tribe is small. With rare exceptions, he is an irritatingly earnest person. Lack of humor seems to be a requirement for party membership. He is dogmatic, stuffed farm to which they had been sent to relieve labo shortage.

Experienced farmers, thoroughly invc.sligaf.ee by the War Relocation Authority, the evacuees were condemned mainly on the grounds of race preju dice and secondarily because of fear of economic compelition. Some men and women seamed to feel that having sons in the service justified thoii protests against the presence of the Japanese Americans. But Japanese-Americans about 9.000 of serving in the UniteJ Slates armed forces, and have won high praise. Just a week ago Purple Heart medals were given to the families of 58 of these soldiers killed in action in Italy. One flyer has earned the Distin- euishcd Flying Cross twice, and the Air Medal five times.

other Americans, not of Japanese descent, on returning from action in the Pacific, have raised their voices in picas against racial intolerance at home. They know it is of such that wars arc made, and they want no more wars. Yet the problems of peace loom large, indeed, in the face of such incidents as that in Great Chrisitian Science Monitor. Dumb Brutes The Nazi inferiority complex has hardly reached a lower point than in the case of the Polish woman who has been fined because her dog growled at one belonging to a German colonel. The Nazi judge rendered solemn opinion that the woman had taught the animal to "hate all things German." Whether a selfr-respeciing Polish dog needed any special training in that direction is open to considerable doubt.

Moreover, it is fairly common knowledge, except perhaps in Nazi-land, that dogs occasionally growl at each other on genera principles. The woman may it is true, have been guilty If so she probably feels it was worth the money she was assessed. But the Nazi judge left wide open the real question: which is the dumber brute the Polish dog or the Nazi colonel? Even he migh guess the answer to Inquirer. The Razor Shortage From a special statement sent out with the annual report of the American Safety Razor corpora tion we discover that the restrictions on the manufacture of real razorsmetal razors, not the pathetic plastic recently been lifted. Apparently any company can now take up again the making of such razors for civilian it can obtain the necessary materials.

That points to a curious aspect of the wartime scene which has long held our interest. Not since the early weeks of 1942 have any real razors been produced for civilian use. Yet the home-front populace has remained remarkably clean-shaven and the number of beards has not noticeably increased. Obviously, whiskers have won no victories and the razor situation has never really become Baltimore Sun. An Extremely Embarrassing Position with sneering epithets.

you, he addresses you. He doesn't converse with He shouts. He is never wrong. When cornered by a good argument, he squirms out by calling names. It isn't fair to the Russian Communist that we should learn of his life through American sources.

He probably is much more pleasant than his American prorselytizer. He must occasionally laugh at himself. If the American Communist would only heed Marshal Stalin's announcement that the Comintern has been dissolved, we'd all feel more kindly toward the Soviets. Fairy Story Into this workaday world, and under a N. dateline, the daily papers have brought us a fairy story as perfect in detail as anything the Brothers Grimm ever dreamed up.

Nicholas Mulick, the dashing hero, plunged into the icy Passaic river and rescued five victims of bus accident. Suddenly there appeared before him fairy godfather in the person of Passaic's safety director, Julius C. Cinamon. You may choose any reward you wish and it shall be granted, said Godfather Cinamon. And what did our hero choose? His selection was in the great tradition of childhood daydreams lure of the brilliant red trucks, the clang of the bell, excitement, admiring throng.

He wished that might become a city fireman. And, lo and behold, his wish came true. We haven't the slightest doubt that he live happily ever after. "Send These To Me" If by the light of her flaming torch, the "Mother of Exiles," standing in New York Harbor looked down on Great Meadows, New Jersey, this week, she must have bowed her head in at the repudiation of her promise-filled invitation: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses to be these, the homr.lcss, the tempert-tossed to me." Five Japanese-American who only "wanted to prove by working turf living decently that we could be accepted were forced, by threatened mob thj part of other Americans, to flee, the de. The Ire In Ireland Ireland, differing somewhat from ancient Gaul, is divided into two parts.

Northern Ireland is still a dependable part of the United Kingdom but roughly southern Ireland or Eire, whose prime minister is Eamon de Valera, is an independent state, having been since the Irish Free State Agreement Act of 1922., Ireland has always been a thorn in the body politic of England and that is why the Crown long ago colonized northern Ireland with sturdy men and true from Scotland, making a sort of buffer colony or balance of power. The experiment failed and served only to produce strong lines of differing demarcation and clearly defining northern Ireland and southern Ireland. Added to that a religious difference in that northern Ireland is predominantly protestant and southern Ireland is predominantly However that difference has never been so greatly pronounced as to raise hell comparable to the 8-hour law. Getting back to Gaul: Ireland may be a bit short on parts in comparison but she is not short on "gall'' proper. England long ago could have wiped Ireland off the map: instead England has placted and pampered Ireland and in return Ireland is now maintaining diplomatic with the Axis powers and since large concentrations of American troops are quartered in Northern Ireland the Axis diplomats are in position to see and know all So it is that Ireland is permitting to be maintained the biggest and most profitable Axis spy ring in the world today.

A sad commentary indeed and what can it profit Ireland; she can only stand with England and the Allies; if they lose Ireland will be no more. Ireland is but a recalcitrant ward no matter what she says or Cleveland Times. Sign Of Spring Sprinig is here. The tender leaves and the song of birds tell us of its arrival. There is still further proof if one looks small boys are out on the vacant lots playing baseball.

This is always a sure sign. And it is well that our youth not involved by war have gotten out their old bats and gloves and mended balls to resume their part in the national pastime. It will do them good physically, and keep lots of them out of Chroni- Peter Edson In Washington By 1'ETER EDSON Daily Record Washington Correspondent EXCESS PROFITS ARE PHEW! President Phil Murray of the C. I. 0.

and the Steelworkers' Union, talking like a big shot corporation executive himself, probably got way over the depth of the War Labor Board panel hearing his plea for wage increases when he brought up the subject of "carrv-back" and "carryover" of the excess profits tax law. This is one of the most complicated pieces of tax legislation ever put on the books. If Phil Murray understands it fully, he is one of a very exclusive few who do. The reason for this Kind of tax aw was the assumption that the post-war period would create many extra financial problems for ndustry, involving possibly severance pay for employes laid off, reconversion, delayed that industry was entitled to relief via tax refunds. When it comes to figuring how hese tax refunds will be made, the system of carrybacks and carry-overs couldn't have been made much more complicated il the law-makers had tried, but perhaps it can be made understandable by reducing it to a set of over-simplified figures from the statements of one the U.

S. Steel Corporation. First thing to do is to determine the corporation's "excess profit is, the amount of money it is allowed to consider as normal profits before excess profit tax rates are applied. There are two ways: first by a percent age of capitalization, second by averaging the profits of the pre wa'r years 1936-39. The formula for determination of the credit as a percentage of capitalization is too complicated to go into here, hut anyway, for the steel corporation it comes to approximately $120,000,000.

By the alternate calculation of an average of the four pre-war years' profits, the figure would be $45,000,000, after taxes. Naturally, the corporation would choose to use the larger credit. NOW CONSIDER WAR YEAR PROFITS Now look at the corporation's war year profits, before reserves and before- federal income taxes, but after state and other taxes are deducted: for 1942, these profits were for 1943, $177,000,000 But supposing the war ends suddenly this year corporation has a lot of expense properly chargeable to the war, and the corporation ends up 1944 just breaking even, with no profit at all. In this case the corporation would be permitted to carryback its 1944 credit of $120,000,000 to the two preceding war years. Side Glances COWI.

MBVICC. IMC. T. HI. REO.

U. S. PAT. Off CONSERVATION FARMING NEWS H. H.

Sigmon, Statesville, Rt. 1, planned out soil conservation practices for his farms recently with assistance'of the Middle Yadkin Soil Conservation District. In the complete soil and watei saving plans and soil building practices, were included sericea lespedeza waterways, terrace system, drainage surveys, and soil building rotations, to fit his particular soil types, and various slopes, and erosion conditions. W. M.

Pressly, Stony Point, was plowing and dragging out terraces, and filling in low places in ridges last week in preparation for adequate terraces for protection of row crop land during the usual heavy summer rains. James Warren, Statesville, Rt. 4, had terrace lines staked on several acres recently. He states that bis old hillside ditches which were built years ago had so much all for a hundred feet that water was carried off the iield too fast allow ground to soak up much water, and the channels were re- Deatedly washed clean of soil witjj every heavy rain and were making gullies. Odell Gross, Eufola, has disked several areas of steep and eroded slopes on his farm recently, in preparation for re-establishing a perennial cover crop on such Jlaces, he explains.

Within the next thirty days he is planning to Narrow down and seed with lespe- "Fine time I picked out to retire, there aren't any maids or did less work than this at the This credit must be applied first to the year 1942, when the company had profits of $249,000,000. On the first $120,000,000 of income it paid 40 per cent normal taxes or $48,000,000. On the remaining $129,000,000 of income above the $120,000,000 credit, the corporation had to pay excess profits taxes of 81 per cent or $104,000,000. Total federal taxes for 1942 were thus $152,000,000. A PROFIT IS FIGURED But after the war, by means of he carryback, tlris 1942 tax would be recalculated so that the corporation would have to pay normal taxes of 40 per cent on $120,000,000 credit ilus the $120,000,000 carryback.

This would amount to $96,000,000. Excess profits taxes of 81 per cent would be calculated on the $249,000,000 less the $240,000,000, or on $9,000,000. This would amount to $7,000,000 which, with the $96,000,000 normal tax, would make the new figure for 1942 axes total $103,000,000. This new tax figure being $49,000,000 less than the $152,000,000 already paid, it would be up to he U. S.

Treasury to pay $49,000,000 back to U.N5. Steel. In other words, instead of just break- ng even in 1944, the corporation A'ould show a profit of $49,000,000 or approximately $4.000,000 more han the average net profits after axes in the years. This isn't the whole story, but it is enough to give you the drift, It is out of such refunds as these that Murray figures the steel companies have been financed by the government so that they can afford severance pay, vacation pay, wage increases, guaranteed weekly income. TODAY'S AMERICAN HEROES Today's American Hero.

Another American whose courage anil heroic deeds are, bringing closer the day of peace. The story of Today's American Hero, by Peggy Rhodes of the lulled Press radio feature staff. The Tassone live forever in the annals of the United States Seabecs. Tassone, a native of New York City, won reknown when he sent 12 Japanese to their ancestors during a battle on one of the Treasury Islands in the South Pacific. Oddly enough, he accomplished his feat without the use of a gun or a hand grenade.

His only weapon was a 24-ton American bulldozer. The Seabees, you know, are the men who work while they fight. Their main job is to ciear the jungle and the rubble of to build airfields, roads and camps. That was the task at hand when Tassone and eight other Seabees landed on one of the Treasury Islands with two bull- dizers and one jeep. American and New Zealand troops already had landed.

They were busy fighting a well-entrenched Japanese force. The battle raged all morning with the Japs taking a heavy toll of Allied troops. In the heat of battle, the Seabees went to work under a constant stream of bullets a road along a jungle beach. Bullets and bursting shrapnel virtually parted Tassone's hair as he drove one of the bulldozers through the heavy underbrush. It was hard work, because Tassone not only had to keep his mind on his job, but on the enemy as well.

He had been at his task less than one hour when a Seabee lieutenant ordered him back for a conference. The lieutenant was talking with a New Zealand major. "We're in a spot," the major was saying to the lieutenant, as Tassone arrived, "See that Jap pill-box over there?" Tassone and the lieutenant followed the pointing finger to a spot just 100 feet from the beach. "Sure," said the lieutenant, "what do you want us to do?" "We haven't been able to silence it," explained the major, "and it has cost us plenty of men. What I want you to do is to attack that pill-box from the rear." "You mean said the lieutenant.

"That's right," interrupted the major, "I want you to run a bulldozer through it." The lieulenant turned to Tassone and said: "Get back to your machine and swing around behind the pill-box. I'll cover you." Tassone needed no second urging. Running back to his bulldozer the Seabee opened her up and swung wide around the enemy stronghold. When he got in position, the Japs spotted him and cut loose with machine guns. Tassone, shielding himself with the hydraulic-raised blade, squatted aboard the monster ve- Deputy Warden O.

H. Lindstrom of the Gamboa Penitentiary, Panama Canal Zone, blinked a couple of times and then decided to believe his eyes i when he saw four of his pris- oners wearing the conventional black-and-white striped prison cut on the groov- iest sort of zoot-suit lines. In- vestigation disclosed that two prison convict-tailors had been doing a thriving business in "sharpening up" standard pris-' on uniforms for the hoosegow hepcats. S. They're out of business now.

hide and charged the pill-box from the rear. The lieutenant fofx lowed him afoot with a Tommy-' gun under his arm. Despite the burst of machine-gun fire, Tassone drove on. He was getting closer cr. He could see the terror-stricken faces of the enemy as in- down on the approach of the pillbox.

He saw the Japanese as he lowered the blade and gave the bulldozer the giis. The giant machine forward amidst the crunching of heavy timbers and the screams of the trapped Jap Those screams told him his job was done. But just to make sure, the lieutenant, coming up fiom behind, hurled two grenades into the ruins. Later, Tassone learned that 12 Japs had been in that pillbox, operating machine-Runs and a twin-barrelled 37-millimeter cannon. Today, Seabee Aurelio Tassone wears the Silver Star for a job well done.

DETAIL FOft Goldbrick deza sericea for permanent hay and grazing crops, he says. "Soil on the move means waste." A GOLDBRICK is a soldier who is allergic to work. He had a thousand 'different methods, all the result of much, research, of getting' out of work. There is an art to beinji an accomplished GOLD-' takes months of prac-' tice. If a GOLDBRICK finds it' impossible to get out of a certain detail, he can make another job, that would ordinarily last about 15 minutes, stretch over a period of days, thus rendering him immune to the certain detail.

The GOLDBRICK is as important a part of the Army as the uniform, and standard equipment for every outfit. Curious World A 2 2- YEAR-OLD ORCHARD THAT HAD NEVER 6ROWN MORE THAN BUSHELS OP FRUIT IN ONE YEAR, PRODUCED THE VERY FIRST YEAR. AFTER 2OO COLONIES WERE. PLACED NEARBY OURINS THE BLOOMING SEASON. I COPI).

1044 BY NEA SERVICE. INC. T. M. REG.

U. 9. PAT. Off. CACH YEAR THAN IOO.OOO MMRBOND WINDOW CIVILIANS ARE KILLED 1 BY ACCIDENT, AND ABOUT INJURED.

U'HEN YOU BACK OUR GOVERNMENT; 10 tfctfl.IV 1 OUR GOVERNMENT BACKS YOU, JOE P. PERRY, NEXT: At what ace is a chimpanzee maturely 1.