OCR Text |
Show Merry-Go-Round By DREW PEARSON and ROBERT B. ALLEN WASHINGTON Quite a battle was put up by some of the president's friends to get Tom-mie Tom-mie Corcoran appointed as counselor of the national defense commission. The proposal was frowned upon by both Secretary of War Stimson and Secretary Of the Navy Knox, the two Republican members mem-bers of the cabinet. And since the president seemed lukewarm about it, the matter was dropped. Around this revolves the fact that one of the most colorful and lime-lighted brain trusters trust-ers in the president's entire entourage has now dropped almost completely out of the headlines. Once his name wss hurled back and forth in congress. Once the Republican national committee com-mittee used his name as one of its chief criticisms criti-cisms of the new deaL But now his name is heard almost never. This, unquestionably, is a big relief to Corcoran, Cor-coran, because he is more thin-skinned about publicity than almost any prima donna in Washington, Wash-ington, and Washington has more than Its quota of thin-skinned prima donnas. However, it is no relief that, having resigned re-signed his RFC job last summer to organize the independent voters' committee for Roosevelt Roose-velt (along with Mayor LaGuardia and Senator Sen-ator Norris), Corcoran now finds himself without with-out a salary and no longer on intimate terms with the president. French Diplomat In Exile Of the many political refugees in the United States, one of the most distinguished, also one of the most pathetic, is Alexis Leger, former general secretary for foreign affairs of France. Tor yesrs he wss the No. 1 man in the French foreign office and one of the outstanding outstand-ing diplomats ol Europe. For years he worked for European pesce, disarmament and to strengthen the Kellogg pact. Now in danger of his life, he Is in the United States, arriving arriv-ing after the fall of France. Some time ago, M. Leger came to Washington Wash-ington from New York, where he has been living, and had an interview with Sumner Welles, undersecretary of state, and the man who holds the American job comparable to that of Leger in France. Leger told Welles that he had come to the United States on a diplomatic passport, but now he was virtually penniless and would have to start work in order to make a living. Thus he would be no longer a diplomat. . "That means," concluded Leger, "that I no longer have the right to a diplomatic passport, pass-port, and I am ready to surrender it." "Never mind that," replied Welles. "As fsr as the state department is concerned, you are still one of the foremost diplomats of France," In telling the story to friends, M. Leger'l voice chokes and he is unsble to express his gratitude for the privilege of remaining in this country. Food for Europe The White House is quietly working on a plan to answer the one so vigorously pushed y Herbert Hoover to feed nazi-occupied countries coun-tries in Europe. Under Hoover's proposal, the British would be required to lift their blockade to permit the passage of food bought with funds belonging to the nazi-scized countries and impounded by the U. S. government. Hoover's whole emphasis em-phasis is on the British easing their crucial blockade. But the White House proposal la exactly the reverse. Roosevelt would put the decision squarely on the nazis, who are responsible for the food shortage of their victims. This is the outline of the plan as it will be submitted sub-mitted to congress: 1. To Use the unspent $40,000,000 of the $50,000,000 appropriated last summer for Red Cross refugee aid to buy farm surpluses ln the U. S. 2. The purchased food supplies to be stored In port ready to be shipped THE INSTANT THE- NAZIS WITHDRAW FROM THE OCCUPIED OCCU-PIED COUNTRIES. Reserve Board Governor Chester Davis, agricultural ag-ricultural coordinator of the defense commission, commis-sion, is handling the details of the plan for Roosevelt. Davis is considering enlarging the program to include ln the buying funds some of the foreign impounded money and also public pub-lic contributions via the Red Cross. Mole Infidc word In Hoover circles is that he will attempt to rally public support for a new bill in congress to appropriate $30,000,-000 $30,000,-000 for the purchase of farm surpluses, to be sent through the British blockade to the occupied occu-pied areas. Distributed by United Syndicate. |