| Show Merry Round Merry Round Go By Drew Pearson and Robert S. S Allen WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Even Even among Britain's best friends there i is some grumbling over the hard bargaining over land for foi the erection of U. U S. S air fields and naval bases in th the West Indies U. U S. S naval officers ers point out that whereas 5 50 59 destroyers were were completely ely equipped in equipped in towels typewriters paper laid out in officers' officers all all the United States go got was th the right to bargain with local West Indian governments and British real estate agents Instead of being British grown crown own lands the United States has had to buy land nd from private owners f fox f. f its ts new network of island bases Thus tile the a ares res purchased in Bermuda will cost or or per acre ae In comparison residential property five miles from the District of Columbia cost only 1200 an acre In Trinidad U. U S. S army and navy officials picked an anarea area of 11 square niles miles on the northwest northwest northwest north north- west peninsula as a a naval base and 18 square miles in the center of the island for an an air base But the local government of Trinidad objected saying the use of this property would disturb the normal life of the community by interfering with certain holiday and sports activities Replying the state department hinted that protection of the western hemisphere was more important than the playing fields of Trinidad The dispute dragged on so long that the governor governor governor gov gov- of Trinidad visited the United States States' where he was finally convinced that the army and navy had to have this property would not take certain swamp areas offered by the Trinidad Trinidad Trini Trini- dad government In IIi the end he yielded but the United States will pay for about 29 square miles of Trinidad soil 1 Bermuda and Newfoundland Troubles TroubIe Negotiations with Bermuda were difficult because be because because be- be be- be cause the island is small and pro property y values high Here the United States is building a land base seap seaplane ane base naval base a garrison area storage areas for explosives on small islands and certain improvements to Castle CastIe harbor Newfoundland also roused the ire of U. U S. S naval negotiators by bl upping prices Here the war department will wil spend on buildings buildings build build- ings and equipment while the navy will spend on a naval air station At one time during the navys navy's negotiations over island bases Admiral Stark got so exasperated exasperated exasperated that he said in effect Do you want our munitions or dont don't you If so cut out the haggling hag hag- gling Most island questions are now threshed out but navy army officers have given interesting ammunition to the congressional committee about to investigate the West Indian deals Kingmaker Frankfurter No secret to insiders is the fact that the supreme supreme supreme su preme court justice referred to by S Senator Wheeler as running the war department and the London embassy is Felix Frankfurter Frankfurt r. r More of a secret is the fact that Henry 1 L L. Stimson was appointed secretary of war at the urging of Justice Frankfurter A lifelong friend Stimson has taken Fr Frankfurters Frankfurter's advice on many appointments including that of Judge Robert Patterson assistant secretary of war Frankfurter also tipped the balance in favor of John Winant as American ambassador to London sometimes dubbed by diplomats I Frankfurters Frankfurter's ambassador to Ernest Bevin Winant got acquainted with British labor leaders while serving as as s head of the international international international labor office in Geneva and Ernest Bevin time one-time dock worker is considered the future hope of the British Labor party so 0 in the back backof backof backof of new deal minds is the theory that the next government in England will be labor and Bevin will head it Round Merry-Go-Round The post office department lost sacks of mail containing more than pieces through the sinking of British ships last year When government officials telephone the New York offices of the British purchasing asing commission commission com corn mission the cost to Uncle Sam is 15 s only the price of a local call to the British embassy which has a direct wire to New York and connects up all calls without extra charge On Capitol hill Harold old C. C Hagen hustling young secretary of Minnesota's veteran Representative R. R T. T Buckler is known as the unofficial congressman congress congress- man because he is slated to run for his boss boss' seat next election eJection with Bucklers Buckler's blessing Distributed by United Feature Syndicate Inc |
