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Show Merry-Co-Round By DREW PEARSON and ROBERT 8. ALI EN WASHINGTON The state department did a remarkable piece of timing in laying down its barrage against Japan. It waa no accident that the president's speech at Chicago was followed one day later by Secretary Hull's note to the league damning Japan. His speech had been written In the 'state department, sent to his tram by airmail. He used it almost verbatim, changing only a few passages. it was no accident also that Henry L. Stim-son, Stim-son, former secretary of state, made public hia statement praising China and condemning Japan simultaneously with Hull's emphatic note to the league. Norman Davis, ambassador under both Hull and Stimson, had tipped higy off that the president's pres-ident's "quarantine" speech and the Hull note were In the works. Stimson did not know the exact day on which they were to explode, but he knew approximately and threw- his weight behind the Roosevelt-Hull protest. Republican-Democratic Mr. Stimson is a staunch Republican, aerved In the Teddy Roosevelt. Taft and Hoover administrations, ad-ministrations, but he sees eye-to-eye with Franklin Roosevelt when it comes to the Far East. - In fact, Stimson tried tn get Hoover to make the same speech Roosevelt made last week in Chicago. But Hoover waa too timid. After Roosevelt was elected, Stimson went to see him, emphasized the impnranre of not recognizing Japan's conquest of Manchuria. Roosevelt agreed. A few months later. Viscount Ishii enme to the United States for a conference with Roosevelt Stimson, worried that the- new president might change his mind about Manrhurian recognition, rec-ognition, hurried to the White House. He emerged later, very much elated. A friend, walking with him, asked what Roosevelt had said about Manchuria "He said," replied Stimson, " 'I won't even discuss it'." Note American policy toward Janan in the Far East has been reasonably consistent, regardless re-gardless of Democratic or Republican administration. admin-istration. William Jennings Bryan, secretary of state in 1913, was the real author of the so-called so-called Stimson policy of not recognizing Japanese Jap-anese conquests of Chinese territory. Miss Perkins A F of L failure to invite Madame Secretary Secre-tary Perkins to its Denver convention hurt more than anyone suspected. Few know the lengths to which Miss Perkins Per-kins went to wangle an invitation after the guest list, minus her name, was made public. Actually, every official of the labor department depart-ment thought to have any influence in A F of L circles was asked to contact his friends and get Madame Secretary a belated bid. Every likely federation official was approached, personally per-sonally or by long distance phone, to no avail. Where Miss Perkins slipped was in assuming that should would be invited automatically. Then when the list came out it was too late. J. Warren Madden, chairman of the national labor relations board, was smarter. Repeated attacks by the A F of L on him and on the board for alleged CIO leanings had convinced con-vinced him that he didn't have a chance of receiving re-ceiving an impromptu invitation. So he went to William Green in advance and asked for a chance to appear at the convention and defend N L R B policy. The federation could hardly turn down this request, so he appeared, while Perkins did not Chief cause of the break with Miss Perkins ii the federation belief that she is biased in favor of the CIO and has been influencing the administration in general and the labor relations re-lations board in particular in that direction. A F of L leaders are bitter because Miss Perkins opposed amendment of the Wagner labor act in favor of the craft union setup. Also they complain that they have difficulty in getting in to see her. Before the new deal, they aay, they could walk into the office any time and talk things over with the secretary of labor. Now, however, the secretary usually is too busy to see them. Baptism of Fire If Washington newsmen have their way, there will be an important switch in the White House staff. The correspondents have suggested to Roosevelt Roose-velt that he entrust press relations to his lanky son and secretary, Jimmy. The work is now divided between Secretaries Marvin Mclntyre and Steve Early, with indifferent results. ' On the president's recent transcontinental tour they discovered that Jimmy was an efficient effi-cient and alert liaison man. Until he joined the train- the newsmen got no Information from Mclntyre. But once Jimmy boarded the special, spe-cial, the whola picture changed. ' (Copyright, 1937, for The Telegram.) i |