Show NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS By Ray Tucker Telegrams Telegram's Washington Columnist WASHINGTON The great puzzle of post election Republican Republican Republican lican politics polities grows more mys mys- It centers about the suggestion of what individual or group has served as Wendell L. L Willkie's financial angel since last November The 1940 1040 nominee has denied publicly that his activities including including in in- eluding his trip to England were financed by the House of Morgan Now the Willkie clubs repudiate the suggestion of G GOP 0 P ups higher as reported report report- ed here that they have permitted permitted permitted per per- him to tap their surplus Speaking for that organization John L. L Underhill disposes of that idea In a letter to the writer The surplus left In the club treasury from the campaign has not been used to finance any of Mr Willkie's activities Not one penny has gone for any of the purposes you mention namely Mr Willkie's Hotel Commodore offices his personal press agent or his trip to Europe For your information Mr Willkie has no connection with the former Willkie Willkie Will Will- kie clubs which have been reorganized re organized in upward of 30 states generally with the title of Independent clubs As to the club surplus it is obvious obvious ob ob- ob- ob that since the clubs were not connected in any way with the Republican national committee commit commit- tee save that both were working for the election of Willkie and McNary it would have been impossible impossible impossible im im- im- im possible legally to turn such a surplus over to the Republican national committee Attorney General Jackson Is having a hard time in restraining federal judges who sit in cases involving sabotage or espionage Several Italian sailors charged with damaging their ships were arrested in a southern district at 10 o'clock in the morning According According According Ac Ac- cording to the A. A Gs G.'s story this particular jurist was eager to indict indict in in- dict diet them try them and sentence them to prison on the same day or thereabouts Mr Jackson spent several hours on the telephone telephone tele tee phone and many dollars' dollars worth of taxpayers' taxpayers money in dissuading dissuading dissuading ing the judge from such hasty procedure The A. A G. G pointed out that many Americans still reside in the axis countries and that the dictators probably would retaliate retaliate retaliate re re- re- re with up trumped-up charges and legal The judge finally agreed to let the law take its leisurely course With Hitler wrecking the world map overnight it would seem that the state department could dispense with the office of geographer in the interest of economy A thrifty-minded thrifty congressman congressman congressman con con- gressman wandering through Mr Hulls Hull's gloomy corridors offered that suggestion But the geographer still re remains remains remains re- re mains an important personage The White House and congress run to him whenever they confront confront confront con con- front a problem as to the limits of the western hemisphere the establishment of neutrality zones and the old boundaries of vanished vanished vanished van van- nations Slowly but surely the cost of food is creeping upward From day to day the change is hardly hardly hardly hard hard- ly noticeable But when current current current cur cur- rent prices are compared with those of say a year ago it is easy to see why the household a allow allowance I 1 o w a an n ce isn't accomplishing what it once did The advance has lisa been steady since last No No- vember There still is a substantial substantial substantial sub sub- wholesale rise which would have to be absorbed even if the movement could be halted halted halted halt halt- ed right now In the past year the price of eggs has go gone e up more than 18 per cent that of butter more than 13 per cent pork chops 12 per cent roasting chickens 11 per cent rib roast almost 12 per cent and round steak more than 11 per cent Lard jumped more than 15 per cent between mid-March mid and mid mid April A P r i ii 1 other fats and oils rose less because of lower production greater consumption and government government government gov gov- purchases Sugar went up more than 65 per cent New York economists and tax experts are watching the de de- de- de financing program with a feeling that since tax we must and will considerable good may come out of it in the long run At least some of them assume that the Henderson Eccles-Henderson plan must be considered the voice from the White House They feel that it has some bad features but that It has also certain merits There has long been the feeling feeling feeling feel feel- ing among students of taxation that governments could not get getaway getaway getaway away with so much extravagance if taxes could be made more painful Except for the relatively relative relative- ly few who have bloated incomes those who favor general sales taxes and a broadened income tax base do not care so much about getting increased government government government govern govern- ment income out of the little fellow What they do want is for the laborer and the white collar worker to become more aware of their taxes so that they will object to municipal state and national extravagances There is no real hope of a general general general gen gen- eral federated sales tax But there is a feeling that the in income income income in- in come tax may be spread out so as to hit hundreds of thousands who have been persuaded that they pay no taxes that taxes that the wealthy support the government |