Show Nash W Washington as h- h in Ington Wh- Wh Whirligig ir Ir ig ig Corre Telegrams Telegram's Correspondent By Ray Tucker Washington WASHINGTON Frank Knox's navy department has been the principal offender in withholding war news Veteran news correspondents agree agre that no improvement in the handling of military information can be expected until the secrecy surrounding surrounding surrounding sur sur- rounding fleet operations has been cracked Beginning with his sketchy report report report re re- re- re port on the damage done at Pearl Harbor Knox has taken the advice of brass hats who are temperamentally hostile to publicity In keeping his departments department's lips sealed Mr Knox sets an example for all aU other agencies When the top men in the army W P B and state departments are razzed for tightening up on they invariably re reply reply reply re- re ply If you think were we're tough take tak a look at the navy Leon Henderson may not realize realize realize real real- ize it but r recently he gave legal blessing to a political device which is not recognized in any f federal aeral or state election law In his new rationing regulations regulations regula regula- regulations Henderson provided specifically specifically specifically that campaign workers could obtain a sufficient supply of the gasoline to haul faithful to the polls Now the custom of giving free rides to retainers on election day is old and historic historic historic his his- but in some circles it is looked down upon as a questionable question question- able practice But take it from Leon it is quite all right to burn up oil and rubber to get out the vote voter The Republicans grumble that the ruling will operate to the 1 I advantage of their opponents The latter control most municipal municipal municipal pal and commonwealth govern govern- ments and they have never been averse to using public vehicles to keep themselves in office The TheA TheA A AAA A A owns thousands of cars carsin carsin carsin in normally G GOP 0 P areas and this division wi will l make inspections on an important Tuesday in No No- vember The Democrats also have more funds for hiring private private private vate cabs Word from unquestionable sources sources has been received by prominent American friends of France that Lafayette's land will roll into either the allied or orthe orthe orthe the axis cup at the slightest jolt If the Germans sweep the British from the Mediterranean the logical logical logical log log- ical French will shake hands with the nazis as the best bargain bargain bar- bar gain gam for the revival of their na na- na- na tion If Auchinleck holds firm firmand firmand firmand and the United States demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates demon demon- strates its might the French will follow the impulse of their hearts and swing toward their former comrades Theirs is the most delicate case in the history of modern diplomacy To understand it one should recall the attitude of Clemenceau In the first World war The old Tiger realized that the advancing Boche might capture capture capture cap cap- ture Paris and hence he went over General Pershing's head and demanded that President Wilson split up the United States army by scattering our troops throughout the depleted tricolor divisions The premier was willing to break the pride of Americans if thereby he could save his own motherland To him nothing mattered except the welfare of France His national self-interest self still is a typical characteristic of many of his countrymen A curious wartime phenomenon non which intrigues British sociologists sociologists sociologists so so- is the tremendously increasing increasing in increasing in- in creasing interest in astrology Although the size of London newspapers has been cut due to pulp scarcity nearly all the popular popular popular pop pop- ular sheets devote much space i to the prognostications of sky gazers An organization painstakingly painstakingly painstakingly pains pains- surveyed the nations nation's bookstalls and reported that the sale of special magazines private private private vate newsletters and similar data on the subject outdistanced other publications Pious critics mourn that the situation is evidence of a decline decline decline de de- cline in religious faith Some psychologists contend that the fad merely demonstrates the natural natural natural na na- na- na tural human desire to learn what is to happen in the uncertain future When one prophet a few days before the Japs attacked attacked at at- tacked Dutch Harbor predicted that they would make a move likely likely to affect the Alaska area even the incredulous were half convinced The confession of one ardent believer revealed this quandary My constellations are the same as she explained It is difficult to rejoice when a glowing week of successes is promised me But when the seer can produce a gloomy threatening threaten threaten- ing of disaster my cloud is silver silver sil all ver lined Copyright 1942 McClure Syndicate |