SPECTRE OF ANOTHER WAR
EN ROUTE TO PARIS. Under
way in the palace of Luxemburg is
the conference on which so many
mothers set their hearts, for which
so many mothers’ sons gave their
lives the conference to win the
peace.
Some 13,000,000 men in the Amer
ican armed forces alone fought four
long years—with the hope that it
might be the last time human be
ings would have to go through the
terrible ordeal of war.
In the Paris conference comes
the climax of their dreams, and
already disillusionment has be
gun to set in. Already the
dreams are tinged with night
mare the spectre of another
war.
Here are some of the distressing
facts this conference has to face in
trying to chart the peace of the
world:
1. Historians criticised Woodrow
Wilson because he was slow in nego
tiating peace. But he got started
two months after the armistice and
finished six months later, a total of
eight months after the war. In con
trast, it is now almost one year
after the armistice with Japan and
15 months after the armistice
with Germany, yet the final peace
conference is only getting started.
2. The longer peace is delayed,
the more the Allies fall out; the
more the other nations forget their
gratitude. So the longer the delay,
the harder it is to negotiate a
permanent peace.
3. Russia deliberately has endeav
ored to postpone the peace. This
conference could have been held
long ago if the Soviet had not said
no.
DELAY TACTICS PLANNED
Moscow’s delay tactics were by
no means accidental. They were
carefully planned, and with three
motives behind them:
A. The longer peace was delayed
the more time Russia got to nail
down its hold on the Balkan satel
lites Hungary, Austria. Anti-Rus
sian factions had to be stamped out;
pro-Russian factions trained to
carry on. This could not be done
overnight.
B. The more uncertainty and un
rest occurred in the non-Soviet-oc
cupicd countries France, Bel
gium, the Netherlands the great
er the likely growth of Communism.
C. Finally, Moscow did not want
the Red armies converging back to
Russia. There wasn’t food to feed
them, and their quick return risked
economic, political turnovers.
Thus, ever since V-J Day, Russia
has been the greatest obstacle to
early peace.*
AMERICANS NOT BLAMELESS
In this peace conference, how
ever, not everything is black or |
white. There is some gray shading
in between.
And in real fact, American di
plomacy during the early stages of
this greatest of all diplomatic en- I
deavors was just as guilty of sabo- !
taging the peace as the Russians— j
perhaps more so. I say more so,
because we pride ourselves on be
ing more advanced, more alert, !
more idealistic.
Yet actually, our diplomats
were just as woefully unpre
pared for peace as the army
and navy were for war at Pearl
Harbor. When it should have
been ready for the most impor
tant peace offensive in history
of the world, the state depart
ment was caught completely
napping.
Congress has spent several
months of intensive study to ascer
tain who was responsible for Pearl
Harbor; yet no one has lifted a
finger to probe the equally impor
tant disaster of our unpraparedness
for peace.
If senators probed the files of the
state department, or even their own
files, significant facts would come to
light.
• • *
OUT-TRUMANS TRUMAN
Capital observers credit Sen. Jim
Mead of New York with a new in
vestigating verve which may out-
Truman Truman. . . . Significant
new venture in radio: 350 local
streetcar and traction companies
throughout the U. S. are inaugural-!
ing a coast-to-coast radio pro
gram. Working under American
Transit association, they represent
23 billion annual streetcar riders. I
... No men from the Dallas naval
air station were permitted to at
tend church the other Sunday. Offi
cially speaking, they were not
barred from attending church, 1
merely barred from taking a bus
into town. Since there was no chap- 1
lain at the station, it amounted to
the same thing. Lieut. Comdr. Leif j
Johnson issued the order.
• * •
CAPITAL CHAFF
Assistant Secretary of State Bill
Benton leaves soon on a good-will
tour of Latin America. . . . U. S. |
broadcasters over 10 transmitters
to Soviet Russia now are giving
the common people of Russia the
truth about the news. . . . Maxim
Litvinov was considered for Rus
sian ambassador to Argentina.
However, Stalin decided Litvinov’s
appointment would arouse Ameri
can suspicions. . , . Jim Newman,
who piloted the McMahon bill in
congress, resigns soon.
NEW ARIZONA GHOST TOWN . . , Photo shows town of Jerome, Ariz.,
founded on the sloping sides of the mountain from which rich ore was
taken over a period of more than 60 years of mining, leaving the town
dry from ore. The site produced more than $600,000,000 in copper,
silver and gold and will be abandoned next year. Businessmen plan to
develop the area as a tourist center with dude ranches, resorts and
private schools, so it will not be a ghost city.
REPRESENTATIVES AT POLICY CONFERENCE . . . Three mem
bers of the National league ball clubs, left to right, Marty Marion, St.
Louis; Dixie Walker, Brooklyn, and Bill Herman, Boston, who will
represent players at policy meet to discuss reforms and adjustments,
including pensions and expenses, pay and other contract provisions.
The movement was started following attempts to unionize ball players
and do away with some objectionable practices.
ONE YEAR AFTER ATOMIC BLAST . . . Here is a view of the city of
Hiroshima, Japan, a year after the cosmic blast that shook the world
was released by U. S. air forces. Little attempt has been made at re
construction due to lack of building material. During the cleaning up,
hundreds of bodies were recovered from the debris. It is estimated
that between 6,000 and 10,000 corpses still lie under the ruins of the city.
N ;
J »' % v h
- \: V
IDEAL CHICKEN OF TOMORROW . . . America’s chickens will be
bigger, consumers will eat more of them because of their tastier quali
ties, if poultry scientists showed at baby chick convention, St. Louis,
have their way. Shown with painting of ideal chicken are Dr. R. George
Jaap, Oklahoma A & M college; Dr. S. S. Munro, Washington Coopera
tive Chick association, and Dr. T. C. Byerly, U. S. department of agri
culture, Washington.
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL, PERRY, GEORGIA
I FULL-JOBS’ HEAD . . . Edwin
I G. Nourse, vice president of the
\ Brookings institute, Washington,
who has been named by President
I Truman to be chairman of newly
created economic advisory coun
‘ cil for full employment.
TEDDY’S GREAT - GRAND
DAUGHTER . . . Mrs. Alexander
McCormick Sturm, Westport,
Conn., grand-daughter of the late
President “Teddy” Roosevelt, is
shown with her daughter, Joanna.
Mrs. Sturm is the daughter '■f
Alice Roosevelt.
r
WHAT’S YOUR NAME . . . Calm
ly munching on a sandwich in a
Philadelphia police station, where
he is comfortably ensconsed, this
five-year-old lad answered all
questions by asking others. He
wanted to know all, but told noth
ing. At latest report the police
still were trying to determine his
name.
. V » A
CAN HE SWIM ... Can a pig
swim? Some authorities say they
are excellent swimmers, some
say no. It is maintained by some
that the natural fat keeps them
afloat, others insist they would
sink from their own weight. Pic
tured hale and hearty is Pig 311,
who was said to have been found
swimming after the Jap cruiser
Sakawa went down following first
Bikini atom bomb test.
liiiife 19k
--vO ;•■■■
FIRST AUSTRALIAN AMBASSA
DOR . . . First United States am
bassador to Australia, Robert
Butler, is shown as he took oath
of office. Former representatives
all held the rank of ministers to
Australia.
Defeat of Wheeler Marks
Passing of Able Legislator
By BAUKHAGE
News Analyst and Commentator,
WNU Service, 1616 Eye Street, N.W.,
Washington, D. C.
There was something rather pa
thetic about it to me when I heard
the President say two wofds that
marked the obit
by Leif Erickson.
There was nothing more that the
President could say. He already
had endorsed Wheeler with that re
markable loyalty that he has for
his friends—a virtue which easily
may go down in history as one of
his faults.
Wheeler gave the freshman sena
tor, Harry Truman, his first oppor
tunity to show his mettle by letting
him bat for him as chairman of the
important Interstate Commerce
committee. Truman made good,
and a warm friendship developed.
But even presidential aid couldn’t
save Wheeler.
The other day I was looking over
the autographed photographs with
which Harold McGrath, superin
tendent of the senate radio gallery,
had decorated the walls. It was
just about the time that things be
gan to look bad for the senator. We
commented on the senators we had
known who had ended long careers
in defeat.
Of course, Sen. George Norris
was the classic example. Five
terms. Then he was replaced by an
anti-Roosevelt man, Sen. Kenneth
Wherry.
Senator Norris’ closest contender
for the longevity record in recent
years was Ellison (“Cotton Ed”)
Smith of South Carolina, violently
anti-New Deal. He was defeated
by a pro-Roosevelt man the year
after Norris lost out.
Up on the radio gallery wall is a
picture of Henry Ashurst, the sen
ator whose tongue fairly dripped
epigrams. He came to the senate
when New Mexico was admitted to
the Union. That was 1912. He left
in 1940, serving five terms, plus five
years.
The year 1940 was a bad one for
veterans—besides Ashurst, William
King of Utah left us, having served
since 1917, and Lynn Frazer of
North Dakota, who came to Wash
ington in 1923.
Senator Wheeler served only four
terms, but his vivid personality
made it seem longer. He made many
enemies. Many people disapprove
of his isolationism and some of his
other views most thoroughly. But
there are many, even among his
detractors, who respect him for his
integrity, for his ability as a legis
lator, something which perhaps is
understood in Washington better
than elsewhere, and also because
they consider his pacifism sincere.
I remember a conversation I had
with Jerry O’Connell, former rep
resentative who tried to take Wheel
er’s seat in a campaign somewhat
similar to the one which brought
victory to Erickson. Jerry was pret
ty sore. He had a copy of the Ana
conda Standard in his hand as well
as a clipping. The clipping was a
report of one of Senator Wheeler’s
campaign speeches, made early in
his career. I can’t remember the
phraseology, but the general idea
(expressed by Wheeler) was that if
the Anaconda Standard, which was
supposed to represent the senti
ments of the big copper interests,
ever praised Wheeler, it would be
a sign that he was no longer worthy
of the support of the people of Mon
tana.
O’Connell read that to me. Then
he picked up his copy of the Stand
ard, and read from it some very
kind words for Senator Wheeler.
However, I think it would be
grossly unfair to say that Senator
Wheeler ever “sold out,” even fig
uratively, to any interests. As
far as I know, he is as sincere to
day as he was when he made his first
fight on whatever issue had a side
unpopular enough to attract him.
In February of 1935 I had a long
interview with Senator Wheeler. I
have the yellowing clipping before
me. It is illustrated with a huge
photograph (more picture than
text) showing Wheeler, his fist
clenched about to drive it into his
palm—a favorite gesture. I remem-
BARBS • • • by Baukhage
A new bird-proof windshield has
been approved by the Civil Aero
nautics administration. Now, let us
look for a bird-proof automobile top.
* * *
“The average person of 20 now
has as many years of life remaining
to him as a new-born child had in
1900,” says the Metropolitan Infor
mation service. But can he use
them to any better advantage?
ber when the picture was taken
Here are two paragraphs from
the story:
“Last autumn (remember this
was written in February, 1935), citi
zens of Montana sent the same
young man to Washington as a sen
ator for his third term with the
largest majority ever given a can
didate by the Mountain State.”
A decade passes and new voters
grow up.
“Wheeler (I observed this in the
same interview) came back to his
office in the Senate building with the
pictures of the high mountains and
the deep valleys of his adopted state
on -the walls, and a victory measured
in the same magnificent dimensions
His hair is a little thinner than
it was but he can wake the echoes
with the same thunder he released
when he first arrived. He is still
up and at ’em. And the higher they
fly the more anxious he is to make
them fall.”
Wheeler, Norris, Ashurst—they,
too, flew high.
* * ♦
Matron Upsets
SoZon’s Aplomb
It was during the day and night
senate sessions on OPA. The senate
recessed at 6 p. m. to continue de
liberations at 8 p. m. Republican
Sen. Styles Bridges of New Hamp
shire, bitter OPA opponent, and
Mrs. Bridges went to a restaurant
for dinner. Coming out, they were
caught by a sudden sharp rain
storm. The dapper, white-lineh
suited senator hailed a passing cab,
and he and his wife piled in. Be
fore they could shut the door (and
in accordance with Washington’s
group riding) a huge and very damp
Labrador retriever bounded in,
landing in the senatorial lap. The
dog was followed by his corpulent
mistress. Some moments elapsed
as the quartet arranged themselves
in the cab’s back seat. The dog con
tinued to snuggle and drip on the
white linen suit.
Suddenly the corpulent lady,
glancing sharply at the senator,
said: “Why, you’re Senator Bridges,
aren’t you?”
Bridges, pleased to be recognized,
nodded graciously.
“Well,” said the lady, jerking the
sycophantic canine away from the
Republican senator, 'T’m a regis
tered Democrat!”
• • •
Schwellenbach
Yearns for West
There’s a persistent rumor that
Labor Secretary Schwellenbach
would like to desert the Potomac for
Puget Sound. That’s not hard to un
derstand since heavy pressure is
being exerted to make drastic
changes in the labor department
and since Schwellenbach is as pop
ular as he is in his home state.
In 1934, when he was running for
the United States senate, Lew
Schwellenbach carried every county
of the state—the first time this ever
had happened.
Vicariously, as shown in the re
cent resounding success of his
brother, Edgar Schwellenbach, in
winning the Supreme court jus
ticeship of the state—his popular
ity persists today. Edgar Schwel
lenbach, almost unknown outside
his own community, filed against the
incumbent. The court elections usu
ally don’t draw a very heavy vote
—yet the man with the former sen
ator’s name received more votes
than were cast for the Republican
and Democratic candidates for the
senate. y
* ♦ •
Senator in for
Happy Returns
The eyes of Washington Post
readers bugged out recently when
they read in a story describing sen
atorial wives’ experiences with ris
ing prices that “Mrs. Glen Taylor
buys groceries for a family of
the youngest of whom was an 18-
year-old baby.” I understood im
mediately that the reporter had
meant 18-DAY-old baby, because
just two weeks before I had the
pleasure of smoking one of the 50
excellent cigars sent up to the radio
correspondents gallery by the sena
tor.
It isn’t often that cigars are dis
tributed in the senate for this par
ticular reason, as most of the legis
lators have put aside childish
things. But radio correspondent;
smoked Senator Taylor’s cigars ana
congratulated him on his third son,
as well as on the other honor re
cently tendered him by a panel o
radio experts. They voted him th e
“legislator most likely to succeed
radio.” The two honors had n
connection.
Some 20,000,000 homes have no
central heating system, says P
leum Notes. But what is worse-j
several million veterans have 1
homes.
• • *
As late as 1880, 40 per centJ*
men’s clothing was ready-to-w <
says the Twentieth Century ‘ ,
dation. In 1946 it may be read)
it’s already pretty worn.
