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Newspaper
Decatur Daily
Location
Decatur, Alabama, United States of America
Date
Dec 29, 1938
Page
4
A rights and republication notice appears, stating AP dispatches credited to the Associated Press remain exclusive to AP and reprinting within the paper follows standard rights. The notice mentions locations New York and Atlanta.
The forecast predicted a cold snap but conditions stayed mild with daytime highs near seasonal norms. Forecasters attributed the variance to a stubborn warm ridge and stronger than expected southerly winds.
The conflict reappears on the front pages as international attention returns to Spain. Journal coverage highlights renewed fighting, international responses, and shifting alignments amid rising tensions in Europe.
Paul Mallon argues neutrality act defends peace and that profits spurred World War. He contends eagerness to profit from others' battles risks national peace and credits his service to many papers with the piece.
The Daily previews a tense congressional session over the Works Progress Administration. Lawmakers will debate continuation and expansion versus abolition and retrenchment, with the core question whether WPA is a relief program or a permanent, nonrelief proposition.
The passage asserts the program will train 20,000 youthful airmen annually as the nation girds for conflict. It envisions flyers dropping into homes during breakfast and jokes about hitchhikers while praising the mission as enforced peace. The speaker laments aging and anticipates no immediate combat.
The piece notes 1938 had a rough finish after a long start, with labor tensions easing and cotton shipments arriving before Christmas. It looks to 1939 with cautious optimism for improved prosperity and fewer doleful statistics, urging a shift toward new effort and normal growth.
Hopkins reveals plan to mobilize private industry for ten million jobs while facing limits of private financing versus government WPA funding. As administrator he enjoyed vast capital and built a rapid WPA program, but translating ambition into broad employment remains uncertain.
The article discusses ongoing efforts to persuade private business to align with the government spending program. The future remains uncertain as authorities aim to secure cooperation and disclose forthcoming details.
The piece lauds Spencer Tracy winning best actor for Father Flanagan in Boys Town and credits the film with inspiring viewers to support the real Boys Town charity. It notes Decatur hosts a financial representative connected to the town and hopes for further funding if he returns.
A reader suggests expanding the highway patrol in north Alabama after the new year. The piece cites a 5 percent drop in hospitalizations since patrols began and argues for doubling personnel to enforce sobriety and curb nightspot activity, with fewer accidents and no revenue-focused arrests.
The Daily notes temporary halts along the Bee Line highway south of several cities as floodwater from Flint Creek covers areas. Miss Frances Himes, after holidays with her parents, will depart Priday for a months long visit to her aunt in Beau Mont Texas. Miss Liza Lee Miller and Allene Draper left Tuesday for a short visit to Miss Mary Augusta Bibb in Belle Mina.
Washington dispatch argues for Franklin D Roosevelt to seek a third term in 1940, praising his leadership in facing crises and shaping New Deal policy. It contends opposing him risks losing democracy, notes the south and east politics, and urges party unity to win with Roosevelt again.
The article notes metrazol showing effectiveness in insanity and dementia therapy, with observed mental clarity after treatment. Nicotinic acid is highlighted as a cure for pellagra, benefiting alcoholics and those with limited diets.
The statement notes a silkworm spins about 4,000 yards of thread in its life and comments that improvement comes at the cost of inconvenience.
An assortment of old style quips and tiny vignettes on perseverance and wit. A passerby mocks a man unable to open a door with a cigar key, a child muses on life choices, and a tailor jokes about letting out a suit. Lighter notes close with a nudge to funny wants in want ads.
The Christmas program at Carey Baptist church was enjoyed by attendees. Visitors include Mr. and Mrs. John Griffin and two children from Spring Hill, Tenn.. other locals such as Andra Pepper, J. M. Smith, and Hubert Robinson hosted and visited over the weekend. A noted wedding was announced, surprising many in the area.
Column muses that the State Department should explain why John Strachey was held at Ellis Island and Leni Riefenstahl was allowed entry, and jokes about Mussolini and global affairs with sharp witticisms and satirical prods.
The piece argues for lifting arms export bans and critiques appeasers among church leaders and politicians. It references Hitler, Mussolini, Daladier, Lindbergh, and the fate of Cardinal Innitzer, noting fears of Nazi influence and the risk of conspiracy against Spain and Europe.
A collection of brief comments on politics film stars radio programs and cultural tidbits. Mentions Eden for Chamberlain's job and Boots Mallory in Hollywood. Notes on America Marches On air show on KFWB and audience tips about sugar peevishness and real vs artificial pearls.
Miss Olene Johnston and Van Buren Willis wed on Saturday December 24. The Johnston and Willis families are cited along with wishes for happiness. Mrs. Zera Smith and two children visited George Griffin. Carey Baptist church plan announced for next Sunday. Walter Hamsley of Athens CC Camp spent time with home folks. Bud Jacobs and children from Elk River visited Jim Harshsley’s family. B L Vinson and son Howard were guests of J M Smith and wife.
The note urges reading Sylvia Thurst on Be Glad You're American in The Woman, seeks Sinclair Lewis It Can't Happen Here adaptation, and praises Fulton Oursler and Warners Lincoln in the White House while suggesting a broader piece on F D R. It also critiques The Duke of West Point prologue.
The column mocks rival papers and praises Miami Beach shopping comparing it to Fifth Avenue. It cites a Dec 5 Newsweek report that Alfred Rosenberg told a closed party meeting Protestant churches would be liquidated for a Nazi cult and warned of careful execution to avoid reaction.
The exchange riffs on public figures and misstatements from The New Yorker and the New York Herald Tribune staff. References to Joe Laurie Russell Maloney and Mrs Meloney appear amid calls to heed Wilbur Wright and Olin Miller’s optimistic outlook for 1939.
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