Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

Current EventsBy Prof. WiUiam H. Russell. Ph.D.MAN-MADE MOONThe U. S. definitely plans to build its own earth satellite, President Eisenhower has announced. The program callsfor one or more small globes which will be sent up byrocket to an altitude of 200 to 300 miles. There they willreach a speed of 18,000 m.p.h. and circle the earth onceevery 90 minutes. It is hoped that theycan be equippedwith observation instruments to measure such phenomenaas ultraviolet and cosmic rays, and with radio transmittersto send back their findings. After a few days or weeks, friction with the very thin atmosphere will begin to slow downthe satellite globes. They will then fall to earth and disintegrate like meteors.It is expected that these satellites can be launched intwo to three years, at a cost of about $10 million. Work onthe project began several years ago, and there is good evidence that the Russians are following the same idea. President Eisenhower emphasized that this program is intendedentirely for peaceful scientific purposes. It may mark thefirst step in the fulfillment of man's old dream of travelinto outer space.RESERVE PROGRAMAfter much controversy, Congress passed a military reserve bill which was considerably less stringent than thePresident had asked. Congress refused to compel men nowin service to join the active reserves, but furnished someinducements for them to do so. Those now in service canshorten their period of active duty to as little as twelvemonths, by volunteering for three years in the active reserves. Those who enlist or are drafted in the future willhave a total obligation of only six instead of eight years,but must spend five of the six years on active duty or in theactive reserves. Youths under eighteen and a half years ofage may gain draft exemption by volunteering for three tosix months of active training, followed byseven and a halfyears in the active reserves. Congress declined, however, todraft men for this short-term program. The whole plan isintended to raise the reserves strength from 750,000 to about2,900,000 men by 1960.DOLLAR AN HOURAt the end of its session, Congress passed a bill raisingthe national minimum wage from 75 cents to one dollar anhour, effective next March 1. This will mean raises for overtwo million workers, primarily in the South. The increasein living costs since the 75-cent minimum was set would havebrought it only to 86 or 87 cents, but organized labor andsome Congressmen were asking for $1.25, so the one-dollarlaw could be considered a compromise. President Eisenhower had wanted the minimum wage raised only to 90 cents,but Secretary of Labor Mitchell advised him to sign thebill as passed. The federal minimum wage applies to some 24million workers producing or handling goods for interstatecommerce. Though they make up only 35 per cent of thetotal civilian labor force, their minimum wage tends to setthe national standard, since it is difficult for local employersto secure workers if they pay less.HIGHWAY FIASCO82The biggest casualty in Congress' adjournment rush wasthe highway program. The House defeated President Eisenhower's plan for financing new roads by long-term bonds,issued by a separate government corporation. Then theHouse also turned down a Democratic-sponsored bill whichwould have provided about half as much money. The Democrats would have financed their program partly from a onecentincrease in the federal gasoline tax, and also fromhigher taxes on trucks, diesel oil, and other automotive supplies. The rest of the cost would have come from the generaltreasury. This bill met heavy opposition from the truckers,and neither party wanted to increase consumer taxes withelections coming up next year. Certainly something will haveto be done in the next Congress. Everyone wants betterroads, but no one wants to pay for them.TOWARD EQUALITYA federal judge in Texas has ruled that all state lawsenforcingracial segregation in the public schools are unconstitutional. The immediate case involved the right of aNegro to attend a state college, but the judge made clearthat his decision outlawed segregation at all levels. Localcommunities will have a reasonable length of time to comply.Several districts had already planned to abandon segregation next fall. This is the first decision to apply the SupremeCourt ruling to a whole state. In Mississippi, the oppositionto integration continues very bitter. All Democratic candidates for the nomination for governor have endorsed segregation and favor the return of the schools to private controlif necessary to keep the races separate.ATOMIC CONFERENCERepresentatives of sixty-six nations are meeting inGeneva, from August 8 through 20, for the United Nationsconference on the peaceful uses of atomic energy. The fivemanAmerican delegation is headed by Lewis L. Strauss,Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. Eight American Congressmen and 193 scientific advisers will also attend. The conference grew out of President Eisenhower'sproposal to the U. N., in December 1953, that the nationspool their atomic knowledge for peaceful purposes. The convention has aroused keen interest all over the world. Russia will display a model atomic power plant, and severalcountries will offer atomic reactors for sale. Many American corporations which are interested in the atomic fieldwill have representatives at Geneva.MALAYAN NATIONALISMThe British protectorate of Malaya, a federation of ninestates in southeast Asia, has held its first national elections.Fifty-two members of a legislative council are popularlyelected, and the other forty-six appointed by the Britishhigh commissioner, who will retain a veto power. The election was swept by a party called the Malay-Chinese-IndianAlliance. In keeping with the British parliamentary system,the Alliance's leader will become prime minister and namea cabinet. The Alliance program calls for independence forMalaya by 1959, and for nationalization of the tin and rubber resources, now controlled by British and Chinese capitalists. Thus one more colony begins to pull away from theBritish Empire.COVENANTER WITNESS