Show NEWS 1 By PAUL MALLON Y Z Released by Western Newspaper Union CONGRESS HAS BAS PLENTY ro TO KEEP IT BUSY DUSY As WASHINGTON As this is writ writ- written written written ten congressional leaders are arc plan plan- planning Ding ning to quit until January allowing a six or week eight war mid vaca vaca- vacation Lion Jon for themselves I They have been saying not very v ry loudly of course there Is little Im im- Important important im- im important legislation to be handled be be- before beCore fore Core ore the big appropriation bills come jp in January and that the trouble with the country now Is is there are too many laws In ws No more Important work could be bedone belone lone done than thau to have the members of or each congressional committee as as- assigned assigned assigned signed to meet daily dally from now un un- until un- un Ill til January solely In search of or waste vasle In expenditures An earnest effort might save billions Example The Breakers hotel a at Palm Beach huge world famous I hostelry was taken over by the war warI I department a year ago at an annual rental of The rent o of course ourse was not made public nor has any mention been made of the detailed use to which the hotel has been put excuse for its acquisition was that it would be used as a hos boa pital Now nearly a year later ap ap- approximately approximately ap- ap approximately proximately has been spent on It it I understand un but only three floors have been occupied and never has the place accommodated more mone than patients The waste is obvious colossal In Inexcusable in- in inexcusable excusable every cent of that tha money could have been saved by us us- using usIng ing big vacant civil hospital space in that area A week ago the army site board bad had a a meeting at the Breakers and decided to make this lavish rich richman's richman's richman's mans man's hotel otel into a permanent army hospital although a few miles away at Boca Raton the army already is paying a year rent for a project which would make an inex Inex- inexpensive Inexpensive inexpensive pensive and ideal substitute The Boca Raton club has h s about rooms spacious grounds on the ocean low rental and is quiet The army apparently app always does things the hard way This incident no doubt can be duplicated a million times in a mil mit- milion million lion ion different phases p ases of the war ef ef- ef- ef tort fort The details of such waste natu natu- naturally rally are not publicized by the army In fact are covered by supposedly military censorship although no military information is involved Only if congressional committees committee start pursuing inept officials may the truth be known With taxes taxes taxes' nearh l the endurable limit and repeated bond drives necessary necessary essary to raise money for the vas vast expenditures amounting to a day in September the theoe necessities oe of or economy assume an Importance beyond any other pend- pend pendIng Ing lag subject The appropriations committees committee nave hired additional clerical help to sift expenditures for waste but bu buthe the drive for tor economy has lacked the energy necessary to make i it mean something substantial This Is a job not for tor one committee or clerks but for the whole congress represented on oi every committee dealing with civilian as well as mill mill- military tary expenditures Other duties will be shirked if con con- ress slips away Appearance of CIO's CIOs Philip Murray seems to have slowed owed 51 down or stopped the move move- movement movement movement ment for a sales tax at least tem tern temporarily but something should be bedone bedone bedone done about the present incomprehensible sible ible tax system Congress cannot just lust go away and let the tax com complexities gather dust on the commit committee tee desk The question of food subsidies also must be straightened out A com com- romise settlement between con con- congress congress congress gress and the administration probably probably ably will have to be made The lend-lease lend investigation must be ardently pursued Congress does not lack business but ut rather the will to work out the business it should do INVASION INV OF BURMA DUR IA Our heavy bombings in Burma Burna have caused a general expectation of Jf invasion True the Indians and Chinese have been training r and building armies for some time for forthe forthe forthe the purpose But invasion will re re- require re- re quire an enormous store of equip ment which can cnn be accumulated only gradually Comments from India are apt to be more accurate They suggest our air activity is directed mainly toward breaking up ah ex ex- expected exI expected expected I Jap attack on India The I Japs recently moved a considerable force Corce from east to west Burma as asif asif if f to threaten an attack Guiding fact to be remembered about the Stalin-Hull Stalin news from Mos Moscow cow is that the Russian newspapers exist not primarily for the purpose of giving out news but to further the interests of the Soviet govern ment Commenting upon the trend of the talks therefore probably will remain quite useless until official an announcements are issued afterward by the participants Mr Hull is primarily interested in Lx trade rade trade not in military matters and Russia will need goods of every char character character acter after the war |