Show W Washington as h. h Ington M Round Merry erry- erry G 0 R oun d By Pearson Pearson Drew WASHINGTON Behind the visit of ex-Ambassador ex Joseph P. P Kennedy to the White House recently was the fact that Joe was about to publish a book The president hearing about tl the e book and knowing something something something some some- thing of Joes Joe's mercurial temperament temperament temperament tem tem- so far as Roosevelt's foreign policies were concerned suggested that Joe send him a copy Among other things the president president president pres pres- ident was fearful that Kennedy would disclose incidents during his term as U. U S. S ambassador to Great Britain which would offend the British during war war- time When received the book his suspicions were justi justi- fied It had the qualities of a asure asure asure sure seller best-seller but at the expense expense expense ex ex- ex- ex pense of a lot of people including including including ing not only the British but Harry Hopkins So the president suggested to Joe th that t he drop in for a visit And for abo about t an hour the president president pres pres- ident dent argued against publication of the book now indicating that it would play into the hands of axis propagandists il 1 I dont don't care care what you say after the war is over Joe declared declared declared de de- the president in effect but n now now w is the wrong time to say it it Kennedy finally agreed to hold up publication This has been a blow to his Republican and isolationist friends who are still urging him to publish the book before the 1944 elections They figure it would be the best campaign document of the elections elections elec elec- Meanwhile it seems certain that the prodigal will be given givena a job inside the administration Joes Joe's return is meeting with a alot alot lot of opposition from various new dealers but the president himself always has been fond of Kennedy even when they differed differed differed dif dif- vigorously The war production n board is watching with interest the unusual unusual unusual un un- usual move of North Carolinas Carolina's J J. J Melville Bro Broughton in inserting inserting inserting insert insert- ing page advertisements in current current current cur cur- rent magazines pointing out that North Carolina welcomes the development of the sponge iron industry Sponge iron is one of W P Bs B's poor relations which finally got belated W P B approval as one way to lick the acute steel shortage but which is still opposed opposed opposed op op- op- op posed tooth and nail by the big steel companies Governor Broughton however points out that North Carolina once was one of the thriving iron centers of the U. U S. S A. A and wants to bring back under the cheap quick sponge iron process process process proc proc- ess what the big steel companies took away with their expensive highly concentrated blast fur fur- naces I This week he is following up his advertisements with a letter to leading newspapers and magazines mag mag- magazines pointing out the national possibilities of sponge iron and urging aid in breaking the bottleneck in Washington Senator George Norris left the congress which he had served for 40 faithful years as probably the only man who has turned down an important and lucrative government job The president was ready and anxious to appoint him chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man of the Tennessee Valley Authority which Norris after years of fighting finally put through congress But the old gentleman gentleman- flatly refused What would I look like he said taking a job as a lame duck when I passed a constitutional constitutional constitutional amendment abolishing sh i n g the lame duck congress Besides Norris added my place Is out in Nebraska Im I'm going home So Senator Norris is going back to McCook Neb to his very small humble bungalow and hang out his law shingle Meanwhile he has made one other commitment He has accepted accepted accepted ac ac- ac- ac the chairmanship of a committee of labor and farmers eager to see the war vigorously prosecuted eager that the president president president dent follow a progressive domestic domestic do do- domestic policy and finally eager that public opinion be to assure the peace after the war The movement still is in an embryo form but Norris has consented to be chairman to speak for it and to come back to Washington from time to time to help push things So his friends are expecting that he will divide his time between Nebraska and Washington Now that the Russian campaign campaign campaign cam cam- is a nightmare most Germans Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans would like to wake up from neutral reports state that they are trying to fix the blame for starting it Probably no noone noone noone one is mentioning it above a whisper but everyone in the German high command knows that that blame must fall on Hitler Among those who warned sternly against attempting war against Russia were two Germans Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans then serving in Moscow two men who knew Russia well Yell welland welland Yelland and knew what she was capable of doing These men are Ambassador Count von Schulenberg Schulenberg Schulenberg lenberg who was Hitler's ambassador ambassador ambassador am am- to Moscow before the blow fell He was known as the father of the soviet-German soviet pact which the Russians called the pact von Schulenberg He had fought in the 15 1914 German German German Ger Ger- man campaigns in Russia also in Turkey He knew the Russian Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian people and the Russian military strength When he first heard proposals of a military campaign against Russia he expressed expressed expressed ex ex- pressed the gravest apprehension sion and did his utmost to prevent prevent prevent pre pre- vent it it Lieutenant General Koestring who was was German military at at- tache in Moscow until the blow struck He too had seen much of Rus Russia ia had fought against the Russians He was a member member member mem mem- ber of General von Hindenburg's staff during the great campaign n which culminated in the battle of Tannenberg August 1914 These headed hard-headed re a 1 l Ii i s t s a sare sare aare are now doubtless telling their fri friends behind their hands what warnings they uttered in 1941 1941 all all of which is not calculated calculated calculated cal cal- to strengthen the sign- sign painters painter's prestige among the military aristocracy Copyright 1943 by bv United Feature Feature Fea Fea- Feature ture Syndicate |