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Show Washington, D. C. MISS PERKINS ON THE COAL Inner circle clamor for replacement replace-ment of Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins is an old story, but it's hotter hot-ter now than ever before. Actually, Roosevelt did move last year to get a new labor secretary, offering the post to Mayor LaGuar-dia. LaGuar-dia. But he declined, insisting on, the war department or nothing. But with labor a key problem, White House advisers had been urging urg-ing that the President renew the offer of-fer to LaGuardia. Miss Perkins was criticized sharply sharp-ly for the delay in certifying the protracted pro-tracted Allis-Chalmers sti-ilco to the National Defense Mediation board until rioting broke out, also the coal negotiations before they deadlocked and John L. Lewis shut down the mines. Both the President and other cabinet members bluntly called Miss Perkins' attention to the fact that the purpose of the board was not only to settle strikes but to avert them. With some feeling it was demanded demand-ed of her why the board, set up expressly ex-pressly to handle "hot potatoes," was not used in these two major cases. HITLER HOLDING OFF U. S. Those who are steering U. S. foreign for-eign policy on its present difficult course privately offer four important impor-tant reasons for not anticipating a break in diplomatic relations with Germany for some time. One is the memory of the German people regarding American entrance into the last war. For years Germans Ger-mans have contended that they won the last war until the United States entered; so the psychological effect of American entrance now is the last thing Hitler wants. Two is the effect upon American morale. At present, U. S. draftees :an't get enthusiastic about their service while industry and labor could be much more patriotic about production. But once Hitler precipitated precipi-tated a declaration of war, sentiment here would be far different and he knows it. Three is the large amount of German Ger-man property in the United States which would be seized in case of war. Four is the fact that Germany is now about to receive a certain amount of goods from the U. S. A., sent via Russia and Japan, which she could not get in case of war. Therefore, U. S. diplomatic experts ex-perts are convinced that Hitler will do nothing rash toward the United States until after June or July, by which time he should pretty much know whether he is going to take England or not. Nazi policy after that will be guided guid-ed by intervening events. FARM BUREAU FEDERATION Moguls of the powerful American Farm Bureau federation are ready to say "uncle" and make peace with the administration. Up to a year ago the farm bureau was the fair-haired boy on farm policy, largely due to the suave astuteness as-tuteness of Ed O'Neal, federation president, and his personal friendship friend-ship with Roosevelt. But at heart most of the federation's federa-tion's generalissimos never were very hot about the New Deal, and last year they began demanding greater local control aimed at running run-ning the program themselves. And in a showdown over domination of the Federal Land Banks, Wallace rapped them over the knuckles and the battle was on. Soon it spilled over into the political polit-ical arena when cornbelt Farm bureau bu-reau leaders, led by ambitious Earl Smith of Illinois, dumped the Roosevelt-Wallace ticket and put in some heavy licks for Wiilkie. Willkie's defeat knocked the props from under the boys. So, reverting to the old realistic axiom, "If you can't lick 'em, join 'em," the boys have propositioned Clifford Townsend, defense agricultural agricul-tural advisor and former New Deal Governor of Indiana, on being their peacemaker. Townsend was one of the organizers organ-izers and first leaders of the farm bureau in the Midwest. Yet when he stumped that area for Roosevelt and Wallace last fall he bumped up against the bitter opposition of many of his old associates. Jl-A-YEAR PROBE Sen. Harry Truman is a friendly, mild-mannered Missourian, but to certain defense brasshats and One Dollar Men he's an ogre with horns Truman is author and chairman of the special senate committee to probe defense contracts, and he is determined that what happened in France won't happen here. He already al-ready has some interesting data. MERRY-GO-ROUND When he was assistant secretary of labor, brainy Edward F. Mc-Grady Mc-Grady used to work 15 hours a day and he is now doing the same thing as $l-a-year labor adviser to War Secretary Stimson. November 1 is a long way off, out the Affiliated Young Democrats of New York, leaders in the draft Roosevelt movement, already have booked Madison Square Garden for a giant "Draft LaGuardia" rally on that night, the last Saturday bdore the mayoralty election |