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Show I NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS 4- Written for The Telegram By Ray Tucker , , ..SHINGTON The keep-us-out-of-war buglers on Capitol hill read Into President Roosevelt's Sino-Japanese policy a deliberate defiance of the congressional mandate embodied in the neutrality neu-trality act. They will try to pull him back from the Brussels brink. In their opinion, and they maintain main-tain that the debates on the floor prove it, congress meant the act to mark a renunciation of the cooperative co-operative and missionary policy which Wood row Wilson headlined. Hereafter the United States was to take no sides with any belligerent bel-ligerent and seek only to shun even the occasion of war. Now it is their contention that Mr. Roosevelt repudiated that instruction instruc-tion by his Chicago speech and participation in the Brussels conference. con-ference. Instead of invoking neutrality, neu-trality, he has condemned Japan in a way to strain relations. The undercover belief is that Mr. Roosevelt aims at repeal of the neutrality act or a modification modifica-tion that will give him the discretion dis-cretion he originally asked for. Despite widespread sympathy for China on Capitol hill, the Nye-Borah-Bennett Clark clique will try to strengthen rather than weaken the present ktw. They also think that public aentiment is on their side. When President Roosevelt's labor la-bor friends organised the American Ameri-can labor party for him in 1938, they didn't dream that they were building an agency which might smash the seemingly impregnable Roosevelt-Farley machine. But they would be having nightmares if they had sat in at several private aeasions of the new crowd's strategists. The ALP still supports F. D. R.'a geaoral objectives he would get its vote If he ran tomorrow to-morrow but they are sharpening sharpen-ing their knives for some of his topnotch boys. The laborites will undoubtedly throw a third party and candidate into the field if National Chairman Farley runs for Now York governor next year. They resent his attacks on their favorite Mayor LaUuardia. The nominee would probably be City Chamberlain A. A. Berle Jr.. and the split vote might enable a U O P to cop the honor for the first time since 1922. In Pennsylvania John L. Lewis may make trouble. He hopes to catapult Lieutenant Governor Tom Kennedy into the state house, although Senator "Joe" Guffey may have other plana for retaining retain-ing control Here again a division would aid the GOP if they can unearth a strong candidate. ' Smashing party lines may prove to be ticklish business for the wreckage crew. President Roosevelt's behavior In the New York mayoralty campaign cam-paign has created a profound impression im-pression among Democrats on Capitol hill. No other incident has aroused so much suspicion of loyalty to his friends and his party. National Chairman Farley's buddies are saying: "I told you ao." On the eve of the court battle that smashed old friendships, friend-ships, they warned him not to go along with "the chief." They told him that some day Mr. Roosevelt Roose-velt would desert him and toss him out in the cold. The loyal, lovable "Jim" scoffed at their predictions. Now, in view of the president's hidden but effective backing of LaGuardia, they wonder won-der whether he isn't convinced that they knew Mr. Roosevelt better than he did. So do some of his friends. Democrats who subscribe to the drop-him-when- you - don't - need-him need-him theory are profiting from the Farley experience. They will never again render unto Mr. Roosevelt the things he asks them to give him. Hereafter they will look after their own hides, recognising recognis-ing that presidents come and go, but that congress runs on forever. Some of "Jim's" friends regret that he didn't feather his nest when the feathering was good. Now it isn't. Superficially the controversy over permission to use old kegs for whisky seems to be only another an-other old-fashioned clash between distillers on the make. Behind the scenes, however, it is one of the most sensational quarrels in the history of American liquor. American drinkers before and since prohibition have always preferred a heavy, dark whisky, which can be produced only by kegging it in now oak casks. So most of the domestic distillers are bitterly opposed to any change in regulations requiring that fresh kegs be used for each new distillation. distil-lation. So are powerful politicians Interested In seeing plentiful consumption con-sumption of their constituents' oak. The Hiram Walker Interests-manufacturers Interests-manufacturers of Canadian brands aeek to popularise their lighter, softer drink, which can be aged better in used kegs-including kegs-including those previously used for sherry. If they can revolutionise revolu-tionise the American appetite so that it prefers light to heavy whiskies, it may enlarge their markets. Therefore the Ameri- " can boys object to chsnglng appetites ap-petites while crossing a liquor stream. It's a safe bet that the home town boys, who are well connected politically, will win out The HOLCl six months' experiment ex-periment in socialised medicine has produced a saving which nobody no-body foresaw. It will be the chief argument of the Roosevelt-Parran school when the organised doctors doc-tors bring their heaviest guns to bear on the proposal. Six months ago the H O L C installed in-stalled a visiting nurses' system a tenuous and tentative trial. Whenever an employe was absent from work for two days with illness as the cause (or excuse), a visiting nurse showed up to make a diagnosis and give an opinion on the need for calling the good old family doctor. The checkup has worked a tremendous tre-mendous improvement in H O L C health. In six months the "sick leave" grant has been reduced re-duced by one week per person. Most of the patients were "faking." "fak-ing." and the nurses caught them at it. The amalgamated saving for Uncle Sam almost equals the cost of the nurses' installation. Mayor LaGuardia recently visited vis-ited Mt Vernon on a short automobile auto-mobile trip designed to afford him relaxation after the strenuous strenu-ous campaign In which it is believed be-lieved he killed the Tammany Tiger for keeps. When the mayor stepped out on the Washington piaiza, he dropped into a chair to enjoy the quiet Inspiring scene the sloping slop-ing lawn, the placid Potomac and the blue hills on the other bank and to rest. But there was no rest for the weary Tiger-killer. People from almost every stats came to shake his hand or take his picture. Finally, a shy youngster young-ster of 16 edged up and asked In an awed voice: "Aren't you Mayor LaGuardia of New York?" When the mayor identified himself, him-self, the boy said: "I thought ao. I've been reading read-ing a lot about you in the papers pa-pers the last few days." Notes Congress is ssked to provide for national celebration of the 73th anniversary of the emancipation proclamation on January 1, 138 . U. 8. ia putting an effective damper on clash between be-tween Haiti and Santo Domingo . . . Interstate truckers apply for increased ratea. ..Alleged cement trust is under investigation... Colonel Lindbergh returning to this country soon on business trip. (Copyright, 1937, for The Telegrsm) |