Show I r r. r NEWS BEHIND H I ND THE TH E NEWS rS' rS 1 I Written ri for tor The rhe Je Telegram r B By Ray Tucker WASHINGTON When WASHINGTON When and if the members of labor unions in the United States grow weary of Lewis-Green Lewis squabbling at the top and join forces under undera a new leader the man most likely to head such a powerful movement movement movement move move- ment is George Harrison head of the railway clerks and a key figure in discussions for reviving reviving reviving ing the nations nation's transportation system Mr Harrison rose from the ranks until through sheer ability as a diplomat and executive he reached his present place Short stocky handsome his pleasant personality and good nature mature didn't handicap him any H Ho H His is as highly highly highly high high- ly regarded by economic royalIsts royalists royalists royal royal- as by his own men It was he who arranged the White House conference attended by Thomas ThomasW W Lamont Lament Owen D. D Young and John L. L Lewis He acted as spokesman for both labor and management at recent conferences conferences conferences confer confer- with the president Reconciliation of the fighting unionists and displacement cement of Mr Green or Os Mr Lewis seems to be a remote prospect ct now But ButI I its it's the ta talk I 1 k around labor and political headquarters here and elsewhere depending of course on what happens when and where In any event the coming man in the labor movement movement move move- ment se seems ms to be George Har Har- rison Formal diplomats in the state department may bridle at the suggestion suggestion suggestion sug sug- but the rather romantic policy which the R Roosevelt administration administration ad ad- ministration has adopted toward Mexico may be due to the fact that an Irishman with a trace of mysticism Larry mysticism Larry Duggan is is the key adviser in the oil expropriation expropriation ex ex- ex- ex affair Hes He's neither hard-boiled hard nor materialistic like so m many ny of his predecessors Except for Undersecretary Sumner Sumner Sum- Sum ner ncr Welles he is the youngest man ever to hold the office of chief of a division He is now 33 years old and he is in charge of all problems affecting the western western west west- ern em republics A graduate of Exeter Exeter Exeter Exe Exe- ter and Harvard orthodox Harvard orthodox state department schools schools schools-he he entered the department in 1930 and as a of Mr Welles was promoted so rapidly that it took the breath away from depart depart- mental oldsters He has neverseen neverseen never neverseen seen service abroad but his genius for research and study apparently apparent apparent- ly compensates for lack of routine experience Diplomacy also runs in the blood for his father has been a professor and participant in international affairs for many years When not young Duggan is winning cups as a squash champion There could be no better training for a man manin manin manin in his post post post-if if you know or play squash Hes He's a quiet fellow smiles easily has a long boyish face with bushy hair and breaks the tradition of career diplomats with his shyness and modesty Ten years from now now now- maybe 20 Larry Duggan may be an international international international in in- big shot Political undertakers ticketed Doc Copeland for the graveyard graveyard graveyard grave grave- yard when he was snowed under in the New York mayoralty primary primary primary mary last year but right now hes he's about the liveliest corpse on Capitol Capitol Capitol Cap Cap- itol hill It begins to look as if the medi medicine ine man of politics made madea a correct diagnosis when he defied President Roosevelt at the peak of the latter's popularity The doctor would probably be defeated if he had to face a re reelection reelection reelection re- re election test next fall Labor would take a fall out of him egged on by Mayor LaGuardia But if the tide continues to run against the administration and if the economic situation does not improve within the next few years he will be able to say I told you so when he goes before the voters in 1940 If it works out that way he will have the laugh on a lot of people who have been predicting S his death What they dont don't realize realize realize real real- ize is that as a physician hes he's just about the smartest politician on Capitol hilt hill Hes He's an extremely able legislator legisla legisla- tor too For several years he has handled various appropriation appropriation tion measures and he usually gets them through congress just as he wants them Hes He's a persistent fellow fellow fellow fel fel- fel- fel low never makes any enemies has a fine bedside manner and never forgets a fact or a face When a man has all those qualities qualities quail quail- ties he is the politician primeval Few weeks ago Senator Tom Conn Connally lly of Texas shook his v bushy mane and his arms as he satirized the tactics which Frank Gannett's lobbyists used to persuade him to vote against the government reorganization reorganization measure He revealed that they had asked Tom Connally to write Tom Connally a letter attacking the measure The oratorical Texan apparently apparent apparent- ly felt like making a speech on that day for despite his de denunciation denunciation de- de of the lobbyists and their failure to realize that the two Toms were one and the same man he voted against the bill on the showdown Senator Connally apparently succumbed to Citizen Connally's arguments Next day Mr Gannett's local lobbyist having a sense of humor humor humor hu hu- hu- hu mor sent three dozen roses to Tom with this note Congratulations Congratulations lations for the persuasiveness which Citizen Connally had on Senator Connally When two such pillars of political political cal cat patronage as Jim Farley and Dan Roper beg a senator to fay lay off the the latter wins all- all American honors as an auctioneer of jobs Which introduces Senator Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor Kenneth McKellar of Ten Ten- Mr McKellar recently tacked on several amendments to the commerce com corn merce department appropriation bill that were designed to protect a a. a few of his important 5 It is doubtful however if the senatorial maneuver would affect affect af af- af- af feet more than votes when he comes up for reelection next fall he did it because such intrigue delights his heart But adoption of his proposals will cause utter confusion in almost every government governmental governmental govern govern- ment mental l department It will make for gross inefficiency arid and prevent appointment of competent men to important posts So Uncle Dan wrote a letter of protest to Vice President Garner Garner Garner Gar Gar- ner and Speaker Bankhead which neither has seen fit to tomake tomake tomake make public for fear of antagonizing ing the patronage boys And Jim has urged the senator to back down But they dont don't know Mac who never forgets a it friend or forgives an enemy Its It's been beena a mightily successful formula for many years and he sees no for changing over now Copyright 1938 for The Telegram |