| Show 1 NEWS BEHIND I N D TH THE E NB NEWS wr Written n for The Telegram By Ray T Tucker r v WASHINGTON Charley Michelson the Democrats' Democrats ace publicist has come under heavy shelling from returning members of congress who also happen to tobe tobe tobe be members of the Democratic national committee that pays him a year They want to know whether he is working for the Democratic party or for the president president president dent alone The cause of their anger is a confidential digest of newspaper clippings which Charley distributes distributes distributes dis dis- dis- dis tributes daily among key partisans partisans parti parti- sans saM here and throughout the country It professes to summarize ze what editorial writers and political political political cal commentators are saying about the administration the party's policies and personalities In accord with a code devised by Mr Michelson comment he regards regards regards re re- gards as favorable is marked x while hostile references are listed with alongside If the editorial editorial edi edi- tonal material is neutral it rates an o 0 Mr Michelson's clientele cHentele however however however how how- ever have noted that he characterized characterized characterized charac charac- complimentary references to George George of Georgia Smith of South Carolina Tydings of Maryland etc as as unfavorable unfavorable unfavorable able even after their states had them in the face of F. F D. D Rs R.'s criticism That is the Roosevelt publicist continued to assail Democrats when they had become the party's nominees Even more serious complaint comes from several senators frequently frequently frequently fre fre- fre- fre mentioned as 1940 presidential presidential possibilities Charley brands newspaper discussion of 1940 chances with the the double cross Friends and foes of President Roosevelt have been digging into his record to discover his real attitude attitude attitude at at- toward a large army and navy The yellowed files of a magazine magazine magazine mag mag- azine at the congressional library excavated by them contain a recommendation for a national army that serves to explain his present preoccupation with a national national national na na- na- na defense program In an article in the Ladies Home Journal entitled What the Navy Can Do for Your Boy Mr Roosevelt emphasized the good food the physical training I and the discipline which the navys navy's regime supplied to a drifting drifting drifting drift drift- ing boy Then he added these words I hope to see the day when national service is not only an established fact but also one of the most prized highly-prized privileges of all Americans I as a father look forward to the day when my boys will be able to render service to their country That was in June 1917 when he was assistant secretary secretary secretary secre secre- tary of the navy The president has given no in indication indication indication in- in that he entertains the same belief today He probably doesn't for many of his 1917 convictions convictions convictions con con- have gone with the political political poli poll wind including his almost religious zeal for American participation participation participation par par- in Woodrow Wilsons Wilson's League of Nations But these 21 year-old year words will be recalled on the floor when the debate over more ships soldiers and planes gets incandescent Private utility lobbyists here have suddenly switched their Q binoculars from the T V A in investigation investigation investigation in- in to the seemingly sagging sagging sagging sag sag- ging power up set-up in the state of Nebraska They are privately chortling and predicting that the Roosevelt-Ickes Roosevelt program of public public pub pub- lic lie power development will be d dis discredited discredited dis- dis s- s credited in the bailiwick of its father Uncle George Norris The undercover attitude of the power privateers may explain the willingness of Nebraska's utility companies to sell out to the public districts which are operating the Roosevelt-Ickes-Norris Roosevelt projects built with of federal I cash Unless the latter bought up the private companies' companies plants and customers Nebraska authorities found they would have access to tono tono tono no markets for they could not begin to compete with the private rates But in the transaction the utilities' utilities Wall Street underwriters insisted on a first lien for themselves themselves themselves them them- selves leaving Mr Ickes to hold the bag virtually bag virtually a second trust for for the money the government has invested in the venture The revamped public power system may eventually pay and bail the government out But Wall Vall WallStreet WallStreet Street financiers and their allies among the utilities here gleefully bet that the whole enterprise will break down under a practical test Then if their forecasts hold good Wall Street will exercise its mortgage mortgage mortgage mort mort- gage rights take over the property property property prop prop- erty and Uncle Sam will be left holding an empty bag It may not turn out that way but even the Norris Ickes-Norris faction concedes that things look bad Copyright t 1938 for The Telegram |
