Show Round Merry-Go-Round By Drew Pearson and Robert S. S Allen WASHINGTON WASHINGTON-If If there is an investigation of the sugar shortage certain agriculture department department department depart depart- ment masterminds will have to do a lot of ex ex- Few know that these masterminds over the protests of domestic sugar beet-sugar producers last year forced a reduction of sugar-beet sugar acreage of from 17 to 20 per cent also that cane which would have yielded tons of sugar was left to rot in Puerto Rican fields because processing was prohibited Sugar producers on the other hand vigorously urged that domestic quotas be lifted to permit maximum output But the agriculture moguls refused refused refused re re- re- re fused to heed these warnings Led by Secretary Claude they insisted the United States had ample sugar supplies for all needs needs and and they kept on chorusing this refrain right up to a few weeks ago when completely changed his tune and broke the news that sugar would have to be rationed bases the shortage on two grounds 1 Heavy demands from our allies particularly Russia whose sugar producing region has been devastated by the nazis 2 Greatly reduced imports imports imports im im- im- im ports from the Philippines and Hawaii is correct about our allies but only partially so on the islands The Philippines are out but not Hawaii Large munitions shipments are constantly going to these islands and instead of coming back empty the ships can carry sugar Agriculture department big shots are making a big ado about how essential their activities are areto areto areto to the war effort One essential might be less bungling in ng farm production Highly Interesting Transaction A highly interesting transaction whereby the Republican national committeeman for Oregon sold the government a big tract of land for a new government aluminum plant has just come to the attention of the justice department Officially the name o of Ralph H. H Cake Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican national committeeman did not appear in the transaction However the records show that Ralph Cake who wh owned the tract of land deeded it to the Portland Mortgage company of which he is president and chief owner for the nominal sum of 10 Later the Portland Mortgage company sold the land to the government for One other interesting phase of the whole business business business busi busi- ness was the fact that the interior department was dead opposed to this location of the new aluminum plant The plant Is s' s sone one of the wartime aluminum factories built by the government but butto butto butto to be operated 1 by y Alcoa for the production of emergency aluminum It will get power from Bonneville dam The interior department which operates Bonneville dam proposed that the plant be lo located located located lo- lo near the dam This would save building power transmission lines also would put the plant further inland away from coastal attack The interior department put up a vigorous argument on this point But the Alcoa people plus certain interests in the war var department argued for the other site The debate continued some time But in the end the mortgage company made the sale Gas Masks For Senator Jim Landis new civil defense administrator was testifying before the senate appropriations committee of which Senator Carter Glass of Virginia Virginia Virginia Vir Vir- ginia is chairman Glass has known Landis for years used to o heckle him when as chairman of the securities and exchange commission Landis was heckling Wall street Now they are more friendly This time Landis testified regarding civil de defense defense defense de- de appropriations fire fighting equipment first aid gas masks The gas masks evoked quite a debate Finally as Landis concluded and left the room he met Senator Glass in the corridorI corridor I had to leave said the senator pointing to his his arguing colleagues I had no gas mask Capital Chaff Philippine Commissioner Joaquin Elizalde wrote to President Quezon last October asking for for new quarters in Washington In Inthe Inthe Inthe the return mail mall Quezon sent a check for and Elizalde bought a house on Massachusetts avenue redecorated it it and moved in just before war broke French Ambassador Henry-Haye Henry has just received assurances from Vichy that he will remain in Washington for another six months U. U S. S imports of Scotch whisky continue continue continue con con- to be heavy heavy heavy-Britain's Britain's largest source of dollar dollar dollar dol dol- dol- dol lar exchange |