Show Merry Merry Round By Drew Pearson and Robert S. S Allen WASHINGTON When WASHINGTON When Harry Hopkins re reported reported reported re- re ported to President Roosevelt that the most urgent British need is cargo ships he started a series of moves move that are destined to have far reaching consequences on U. U S. S shipping In process behind the scenes is the tle e establishment etab- etab of a up tie-up between the U. U S. S maritime commission and the British ministry of shipping shipping shipping ship ship- ping under which the merchant fleets of both nations will in effect operate as a single coordinated coordinated coordinated coor coor- unit That is British bottoms will be withdrawn from Pacific and African routes and U. U S. S ships will take their place Thi would This would give the British some cargo vessels vessels ves yes sels desperately y needed neede to carry the war materials materials materials mate mate- rials soon to pour from th the U. U S. S and at the same time enable the U U. S. S to S to obtain rubber chro- chro mite tungsten wool and other strategic commodities commodities com corn without being dependent on British ships However while the advantages are apparent apparent apparent ent the plan will entail some drastic changes in the control of U. U S. S shipping The British war government now has an iron grip on all aU its shipping They first tried to regulate their merchant fleet by a licensing or priority system but this soon proved When Churchill came into power the government bluntly requisitioned all vessels The U. U S. S took similar action during the World war but until Hopkins' Hopkins return from Lendon London London Lon Len don defense authorities had given little thought to the problem beyond the construction of more bottoms But they have been doing a lot of thinking about it since Voluntary System of Priorities It was direct White House prodding that was behind the little noticed maritime commission order instituting a voluntary system of priorities priorities priorities priori priori- ties for the vessels constituting the U. U S. S merchant fleet Under this order the commission commission commission commis commis- sion will advise the ship lines on the routes and cargoes they will handle Through this so called voluntary regulation regulation regulation regula regula- tion the governments government's control is admittedly mild mild and and also experimental If proved ineffectual ineffectual factual as the shipping crisis grows then the lines can depend on it that the reins will be tightened The days when ships ship plying the Far Eastern routes could load up with luxury cargoes at fancy rates leaving behind the bulky and less profitable shipments of strategic raw materials needed for defense are definitely over From now on U. U S. S merchant ships are going to carry carrr the kind of cargoes defense authorities want them to They Find Their Way Quickly Although they have been in Washington only a couple of months a number of the newcomers on Capitol hill already have found their way to the gravy bowl They are catching on fast Eleven of the new congressmen n have members members members mem mem- bers of their families ensconced on on the congreSSional congressional congressional con con- gressional payroll Here is the list t Senate Hugh A. A Butler Nebraska Republican niece Eleanor Johnson stenographer 1800 House of Representatives Philip A. A Bennett Missouri Republican son Marion secretary C. C W. W Bishop Illinois Republican son Jack stenographer 2500 J. J Edgar Chenoweth Colorado Republican Republican Republican lican son William clerk 1600 James Domengeaux Louisiana Democrat Democrat Democrat Demo Demo- crat brother Jerome clerk a. a 1300 William J. J Fitzgerald Connecticut Democrat Democrat Demo Demo- crat erat wife Katherine clerk 1860 Walter K Granger Utah Democrat wife Hazel clerk Oren Harris Arkansas Democrat brother William secretary 2400 Lawrence E E. Imhoff Ohio Democrat wife clerk 1200 Augustine B. B Kelley Pennsylvania Democrat Democrat Democrat Dem Dem- son Richard clerk 2000 George A. A Paddock Illinois Republican Jr 1400 secretary son George Total take for the group Distributed by United Feature Syndicate |