Show Washington Round Merry-Go-Round Pearson K WASHINGTON When WASHINGTON When Wendell Wendell Wen- Wen Went Wendell t dell L. L Willkie conferred with Josef Stalin in Moscow the Russian Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian leader was critical of the British for sidetracking American American Ameri Ameri- can lend-lease lend goods in Scotland and substituting for them in inferior inferior inferior in- in British war supplies The inside story of this now can be told told told-a a story which Stalin apparently did not know when he talked to Willkie Last summer a shipment of was en route to Russia Russia Russia Rus Rus- sia from the United States and the convoy stopped to refuel in inthe inthe inthe the British Isles At that time General Dwight Eisenhower preparing preparing preparing pre pre- paring for the second front in Africa asked that these fast fighting planes be given to him instead of being sent on to Russia Eisenhower was so insistent that he finally went to Prime Minister Churchill personally wh finally agreed that the Aira Aira- cobras be sidetracked for use on the forthcoming African front That was why Stalin never got them This column threw plenty of harpoons into Jimmy Roosevelt in the old Boston insurance days so now it takes pleasure in evening evening evening even even- ing up the score The real story of what Major Roosevelt has been doing in the marine corps is gradually leaking out through his comrades It would have been on the front pages if he were not the presidents president's son Jimmy is a member of the Raiders equivalent to the British British British Brit Brit- ish commandos the most dangerous dangerous dangerous dan dan- branch of the marine corps As such he landed on Makin island in the Pacific mid-Pacific to wipe out a Jap base Going ashore from a submarine submarine submarine rine in a rubber Tubber boat Roosevelt's party upset seven times on an outer reef before they finally reached the island Then the Raiders wiped out the Jap gar gar- rison ranged through the island for two days until every Jap was exterminated During the raid the Japs sent in two big troop transport planes to retake the island Roosevelt's men were armed only with light caliber machine guns But they waited until each plane was close to the ground then opened up full force and wiped out each plane Five of Roosevelt's men were killed and about Japs When the job was done Roosevelt took his men out on rubber boats finally found their submarines Men who have served with Jimmy pay him great tribute say he has the courage of a real leader inspires confidence No Noone Noone Noone one seeing him unshaven for days looking gaunt and hungry on the battlefront would ever recognize him as the son of the president General Eisenhower leader of the African expedition has arich a arich arich rich sense of humor as well as the qualities of military leader leader- ship Here is a story he tells tellson tellson tellson on himself While in Washington some sometime sometime sometime time ago a newly commissioned captain had asked to have a telephone installed and when it was late he hit the ceiling Calling the staff sergeant on another phone the captain proceeded proceeded proceeded pro pro- to give him the bawling out of his life Finally a voice at the other end said Do you know who youre you're talking to There was a pause Finally the captain replied Who This is General Eisenhower Another pause General do you know who you are talking to asked the captain No Thank God for that said the captain who apparently re remembered remembered remembered re- re the gag from Panama Pana ma Hattie General Eisenhower has a lot lotof lotof lotof of tough jobs in Africa and one of them which doesn't get into the headlines is to be the diplomatic diplomatic diplomatic diplo diplo- matic negotiator among high French officials Among other things he has been very adroit in handling General Giraud who escaped from France dressed as an old woman and who now is in command command command com com- mand of French forces in north Africa Actually General Giraud expected expected expected ex ex- ex- ex to be commander of all forces in north Africa b bot both o t h French and American He is one of the highest generals in the French army and before France fell would have replaced General Gamelin as chief of staff had he not been taken prisoner Therefore Therefore Therefore There There- fore since he outranks Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisen Eisen- hower and has had much more varied experience it is not unnatural unnatural unnatural ural that Giraud should aspire to tobe tobe tobe be commander in chief of the entire entire entire en en- tire north African operation including in- in including including in in- the U. U S. S army Eisenhower however has a charming personality a broad grin a smattering of French and had little trouble in handling Giraud Another complication was the fact that Giraud hates Admiral Darlan Yet Darlan as a member of the cabinet outranks him In addition there is G General e en n e era r a l 1 another top top ranking ranking officer So it has been worked out that commands the French civil population Giraud the French army and Darlan the French fleet Clarification The Washington Merry-Go- Merry Round column published October October October Octo Octo- ber 6 made certain references to disposal of obsolete ships to toa toa toa a Baltimore scrap iron company company company com com- pany and referred to Senator Millard E. E Tydings of Maryland The senator has taken issue with some of the points in the article and in the interests of fairness The Telegram herewith herewith herewith here here- with publishes a condensed form of Senator Tydings' Tydings version of the matter On November 5 1932 in open bidding the Boston Iron and Metal company of Baltimore obtained obtained obtained ob ob- a contract for scrapping old vessels It scrapped 40 and in October 1933 the the government government government gov gov- informed the company it would not deliver the remaining remaining remaining remain remain- ing ships The company canceled canceled canceled can can- its contract and two years later advertised for scrapping the same ships The ships were sold to foreigners with provision they had to be broken up or operated outside the United States Senator Tydings protested protested protested pro pro- tested to the maritime commission commission commission commis commis- sion to no avail expressing his opposition to sale of the ships to foreign countries Subsequently Senator Tydings introduced a senate Renate bill providing that the Baltimore company may have a hearing before the court of claims which would determine whether the Baltimore company should receive compensation for cancellation of its original con con- tract Copyright 1942 by United Feature Syndicate |