AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

Otago Witness, Issue 4029, 2 June 1931, Page 26

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

RIGHT TO CITIZENSHIP. WASHINGTON, May 25. As the climax to the long attempt of Dr Douglas Macintosh, a British subject, of Canada, a former chaplain with the Canadian and American armies and now professor of theology at Yale University, to obtain citizenship of the United States the Supreme Court rendered a decision that he is ineligible, due to his preference to bear arms for the country only in what he considered to be “ a just war.” The case has aroused international interest from.many angles, among which was the question whether the court would render a decision involving “ freedom of thought,” in which the forced bearing of arms by conscientious objectors might be sanctioned. Representatives of the Quaker Church Group and Episcopal bishops intervened in the case, but the court held that no question of religious anti-war scruples entered the discussion. The court asserted that Dr Macintosh was ineligible since a citizen must support his country as may be necessary, not as he may desire. However, the Chief Justice. (Mr C. E. Hughes) submitted a dissenting opinion, in which he stated that the Professor’s reservations were in accord with the stand taken time and time again by statesmen here and abroad. The Supreme Court, at the same time, refused to grant citizenship to a former British army nurse, Miss Marie Bland, who said that she was not willing to bear arms although she would do whatever else was necessary in the army. Dr Macintosh, when informed of the court’s decision, stated: “ I am not budging from my stand one bit, but I will make no further attempt to obtain citizenship if my viewpoint is unacceptable.” 1

LAST YEAR’S DRINK BILL. CHICAGO, May 25. America’s drink bill last year was nearly £600,000,000, says a report by the .Association Against Prohibition. Ninety per cent, of this was whisky, which now equals the output of iron, steel, or passenger cars, or petrol. RACING CAR SMASH. CHICAGO, May 26. An Indianapolis message states that Joe Caccia, the racing driver, and his mechanic, when putting a car through its paces in preparation for the Memorial Day race at the local speedway next Saturday, were killed. The automobile leaped the outer wall, struck a tree, and burst into flames. NEWFOUNDLAND FINANCE. ST. JOHNS (Newf'dland), May 27. The Minister of Finance (Mr Peter Cashin) and the Assessor of Taxes (Mr John Sinnott) left to-day for Montreal to negotiate a loan for Newfoundland, rumoured to be 5,000,000 dollars. Recently the Bank of Montreal invited tenders for a Newfoundland loan of 8,000,000 dollars, but none was forthcoming. WHEAT GROWERS. WASHINGTON, May 27. Its position having been explained at the London Wheat Conference, the Farm Board will now intensify its campaign for domestic acreage reduction this summer and autumn. The board, which has repeatedly said that the cure for low prices lies in growing wheat equal to home consumption needs, has set as its goal a cut of 20 to 25 per cent, in the winter wheat sown next autumn. Such a reduction, the officials believe, plus a cut of 12 to 14 per cent, in the spring wheat planted this year, which may be further reduced by adverse weather, w’ould be a remarkable stimulus to improved prices. UNITED STATES TARIFFS. NEW YCRK, May 27. “Tariff barriers must come down if the world is to emerge from the present industrial depression,” prominent American industrial leaders declared yesterday at the opening of the convention of the National Foreign Trade Council. The demand was made that as a step in the direction of international recovery the United States should lead the way at a special session of Congress to effect a 25 per cent, horizontal tariff cut on all ad valorem rates and a 50 per cent, reduction in all specific rates of duty. It was alleged that the United States had been guilty of initiating “ the greatest world wide tariff war in his tory.” Among the most prominent figures in the industrial and financial world who attacked “ barriers against foreign trade ” were Mr Thomas Lamont, of Morgan and Co., and Mr James Farrell, president of the United States Steel Corporation. UNITED STATES DEFICIT. WASHINGTON, May 28. Following upon a report by the Treasury Department that the deficit had passed the billion dollar mark responsible sources intimated that a long term bond issue, the largest since war time, would be put l upon the market. Liberty loans would be resorted to unless there was a sharp improvement in the business outlook during the next two weeks. The Treasury statement showed that with the ordinary receipts declining by 560,000,000 dollars during the current

fiscal year Government expenditure had exceeded the receipts by 1,000,792,431 dollars as on May 2G, and the trend is expected to be continued to a point where the deficit total on June 15 is contemplated to be near 1,500,000,000 dollars. WALL STREET TRADING. . NEW YORK, May 29. The whole stock market suffered further value reductions again to-day, railways being especially weak, while United States steel (common) broke below 90 for the first time in eight years, selling at 89J before rising to close at 91. Short covering supported values for a while, but the bear movement soon returned to force many issues to new low levels. THE SILVER PROBLEM. WASHINGTON, May 29. The United States will have to complete a plan to alleviate world silver con ditions should an international conference be called. While the United States is not disposed to summon a conference because of its interest in the subject as a producing country, State Department offi cials said to-day that the American repre sentatives to such a parley would contribute a concrete plan to help to solvt the problem. Despatches from China to the effect that the Ciiincse-would postpone until the fall the calling of a conference was received with disappointment.