| Show S NEWS BEHIND NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS By Ray Tucker Telegrams Telegram's ms m's Washington Columnist WASHINGTON Administration tion Ion witnesses before the senate foreign relations committee Unwittingly unwittingly unwittingly un un- wittingly have given aid and comfort to opponents of the lease- lease lend end bill bUt It will not prove sufficient sufficient sufficient suf suf- suf- suf to defeat the measure but butt It t has tightened the lines For almost the first time publicly publicly pub pub- members of the cabinet and the general staff conceded the possibility of a British defeat with its unhappy effects on the United States They admitted that our assistance might be given given given en too late even if the bill is enacted in the haste demanded by the White House Members influenced by this line of testimony do not regard themselves as defeatists or appeasers appeasers appeasers ap They want ant England to win win there there are not more than 20 congressmen who wish otherwise other other- wise wise but but their first firs thought is the safety of the United States 4 Senator Burton K Wheeler has denied hotly the presidents president's allegation that he expressed preference preference preference once for fora a World order dominated by the nazis the Japanese Japanese Japanese Jap Jap- anese the British and ourselves But the fact remains that this sentiment is held by numerous prominent business men and industrialists in in- in in the United States and elsewhere It creeps out in their private conversations and sometimes their public statements statements statements state state- ments carry a hint of ot this c con con- n- n Behind their ideas lies lles the same fear which impelled the Industrial rulers of Germany and Italy to welcome the arrival of ofa ofa a Hitler HUler and a Mussolini The alternative to some sort of negotiated negotiated ne negotiated peace in jn their opinion is a world-wide world plunge into com corn They believe that the despair and privations resulting from a protracted war war and and the enfeeblement of the principal belligerents would belligerents would leave Stalin or his successor as the only vic tor They feel that capitalism and and democracy would democracy would be doomed Advocates of a peace settlement settlement settlement settle settle- ment are not pushing their views openly for obvious reasons The presidential election appeared to demonstrate that they are un un- un- un popular Neither Churchill nor Hitler would listen Usten to them at the moment But if der del fuehrer's expected expected expected ex ex- ex- ex blitzkrieg against the British isles should fall fail certain people will exert their influence for a showdown along this line Une Senator Henry Cabot Lodge does not intend to press his constitutional constitutional constitutional con con- amendment for popular popular popular lar election of presidents at this session For the present he Is content to have his proposal to abolish the electoral college become become be be- become come a topic for public chatter and consideration The Bay state senators senator's exhaustive exhaustive exhaustive ex ex- ex- ex analysis of the problem has produced some startling sidelights sidelights side side- lights on the apparent unfairness of the present scheme for choosing choosing choosing choos choos- ing our head man It discloses that eight residents of New York state have a presidential voting strength equal to that of one citizen of Nevada The same disproportion disproportion dis dis- dis- dis I proportion n exists with respect to the residents in other large commonwealths com corn Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Ohio Illinois California His charts also indicate that the electoral method usually has operated to the advantage of the Democrats because of their political domination domination domination domi domi- nation in the south Wendell L. L friends are makl making g a brave fight to preserve his prestige within the inner councils of the Republican party They want to establish him as the G GOP 0 P leader partly out of sincere friendship and admiration admiration admiration ad ad- ad- ad for him and partly to justify their own position But it appears now that the 1940 presidential nominee will be repudiated by the majority of Republicans in congress Private Private vate vat canvasses indicate that most of the G GOP ers 0 Peers ers in house and senate will vote against the lease lease- lend bill blU thereby condemning his lila activities in its behalf Although they cannot afford to say so publicly several of the more prominent Republicans on Capitol Capi Capi- Capitol tol hill hilj are congratulating themselves themselves themselves them them- selves privately that Mr Willkie did not defeat the president Mr Willkie's willingness to testify testify tes tes- for the measure before the senate foreign relations committee commit commit- tee has become a source of embarrassment embarrassment em em- to many of his political political po po- po- po associates associates Van- Van denberg and Taft for instance They have refrained deliberately from discussing his attitude In their public utterances so as not to accentuate the policy breach So they think his determination to headline his views is downright downright downright down down- right ungrateful This column some weeks ago carried an item concerning the activity of Captain Harry Badt adt of the cruiser Tuscaloosa It sug sug- that he rendered service by broadcasting in plain language the position of the German ship Columbus which was scuttled In 1939 by its crew when a British war of hove in sight Upon subsequent and detailed investigation of the incident I am convinced that I was misinformed in the facts as stated So the matter having been called to my I attention I am only too glad tomake to tomake tomake make this formal retraction and to offer an apology to Captain Badt 4 Copyright 1941 McClure I Syndicate |
