| Show NEWS BEH BEHIND I ND THE NEWS By Fulton Lewis Jr Substituting for Ray Tucker WASHINGTON Back of Wendell Willkie's Elwood pronouncement pronouncement pronouncement pro pro- that he favors some sort of selective training was an original intent to be wary about an issue that seemed too hot to handle but it subsequently blossomed blossomed blossomed blos blos- into a cut clear-cut attack strategy of the Willkie high com com- mand The person whom Willkie men are thanking for the blossoming blossoming blossoming blossom blossom- ing is none other than his chief rival ex-rival In the Philadelphia convention convention con con- battle Senator Bob Taft of Ohio The selective training phrase as used was strictly a defensive filler written into the Elwood speech after Willkie and his advisers advisers advisers ad ad- were unable to agree on how to handle the draft issue The question couldn't be Ignored and the line was adopted as safe temporization But newsmen who covered the event immediately immediately immedi immedi- made the Interpretation that Willkie was indorsing the presidents president's compulsory military training bill It was then that Taft stepped in Sensing what was happening he huddled with Willkie and then slipped the word to correspondents correspondents correspondents corre corre- that selective training training training train train- ing does not necessarily mean the presidents president's program From that time on G. G O. O P. P strategy minds began to click They reasoned that in any congressional congressional congressional con con- gressional showdown the president president president dent would be certain to get whatever he wants particularly In an election year rear and they reasoned further that whatever does go through probably will be bean bean bean an imperfect system and will wilI be certain to make plenty of ene ene- mies The obvious play play after after Taft had opened the way way was was to sidestep the draft issue with blanket generalities until the legislation legislation leg leg- finally is passed Then after it goes into effect and begins to have repercussions on the public public public pub pub- lic to pick the sore spots and pound away on them That is what the G. G O. O P. P high command will do and they expect it to prove highly profitable Senate floor managers for the defense appropriation appropriation appropriation bill which h is squirming impatiently on the senate calendar calendar calendar calen calen- dar immediately behind the conscription conscription conscription con con- bill bilI are finding that I Britain's success In warding off the Hitler invasion is becoming a critical problem for them The major Item in the appropriation appropriation tion bill bilI is for the long disputed disputed disputed dis dis- dis- dis and and- ultra costly two- two ocean navy chief argument for which is that if England falls the British fleet may may go to Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many and the United States will have to be strong enough to cope simultaneously with Japan in the theP P Pacific and with the combined Italian German forces in inthe intile tile the Atlantic But virtually all senatorial factions factions factions fac fac- are gravely worried about government finances They welcome welcome welcome wel wel- come the chance of being convInced convinced convinced con con- vinced that the heavy outlay for forthe forthe the thEe two-ocean two navy is not absolutely absolutely ab aI- ab- ab necessary The better the British performance the more the economy feeling Is bolstered Ironically enough in the same process of reasoning British chances of getting getting- congressional approval for the purchase of any American destroyers gr grows ws proportionately proportionately proportionately pro pro- dimmer The rea reaction read tion is that without the super- super fleet well we'll need everything we have and if Britain is holding off Hitler with her present equipment equipment equipment equip equip- ment why risk war involvement ourselves by providing more ships The letter of resignation to President Roosevelt from ex- ex Undersecretary of Commerce Ed Noble released by the White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House along with F. F D D. D Rs R.'s re reply reply reply re- re ply was not Nobles Noble's original letter letter letter let let- ter of resignation at all nIl but a up patched-up overhaul job The real letter r written in moments of some displeasure was far more comprehensive and frank It arrived at the White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House with cyclonic lack of warning warning warning warn warn- ing and it said with Nobles Noble's typical directness that he was resigning because he believed Willkie was a better head for forthe forthe forthe the defense program and should be president therefore he he- he Noble Noble had had decided to support him Roosevelt dislikes resignation letters of that ilk not only because because because be be- cause of immediate political impacts impacts impacts im im- im- im pacts but he also dislikes to have them on the historical rec rec- rec- rec ord Tommy Corcoran who was one of Nobles Noble's chief angels was dispatched to see that the letter was recalled and that a more acceptable substitute was forth forth- coming Noble as a Republican who had received considerable favors from a Democratic president saw the justice of the White House plea He sen senta a new and innocuous innocuous innocuous resignation His statement of Willkie support was made to the press separately and und later One of the few people who ever got away with a sharp sharp fanged fanged letter of resignation under F. F D. D Rs R.'s regime was Ralph W. W Morrison banker rancher and typical Texan who quit the federal federal federal fed fed- eral reserve bank in a huff some sometime sometime sometime time back In his letter he lar- lar Marriner S. S Eccles Secretary Secretary Sec Sec- Secretary and the entirE entire entire en en- tire new deal fiscal policy Mr Roosevelt sent a fingerman fingerman fingerman finger- finger man to Morrison to get him to withdraw the letter but Morrison Morrison Morrison Morri Morri- son who had given the Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt Garner velt-Garner Garner campaign chest 75 and had loaned another 25 said no Several times subsequently the president requested vice presIdent president president pres pres- ident Garner to intercede with the doughty Texas financier but Garner shook his head each time and declined What the president did not know was that Garner and Morrison Morrison Morrison Mor Mor- rison had talked over the resignation nation nation and and all details of it it- it before the letter was sent Copyright 1940 McClure Syndicate The first steel pipe was made by screwing together old musket barrels in 1815 Today tons of steel pipe annually are made in the United States |
