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Show I NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS I . . Written for The Telegram By Ray Tucker WASHINGTON Herbert Hoover Hoo-ver has Informed close friends that his sole thought for 1MO is restoration of Republican rule at Washington. In fact, the former president has assumed a role that may endanger whatever chances he himself might have for the nomination. Mr. Hoover travels a great deal, writes to thousands of peo-pie peo-pie and generally keeps his ear to the political ground. He knows what is happening within the Republican Re-publican party more than he did when he was Insulated within White House walls. He has noted that as Republican 1M0 proe-pecta proe-pecta brighten, party and personal feuds have become fiercer. Old warhorses express resentment against the ambitions of aucn a youngster as Tom Dewey, and schema to sidetrack him. The Bricker and Taft forces are already al-ready clashing violently inside and outside Ohio. Unless checked, such dissension may thwart the OOP. So Mr. Hoover Intends to serve as the "great pacificator of hie party," even though the way of the peacemaker is always hard. He will not argue or contest the right of any man to seek the nomination, but ha will urge that rivalries be tempered by thoughts of party loyalty and victory. It will be a great stunt and .serviceif .ser-viceif he can work it T V A'a purchase of private utility systems In Tennessee may force Cordell Hull's state to scramble off the water wagon after a 30-year ride. Old John Barleycorn may be called upon to supply the state and local revenue reve-nue which Franklin D. Roosevelt's liking for public water power has taken away. T V A's purchase of six private utility systems will deprive the state of approximately (2.600.000 la annual taxes, and the federal government of about $1.200.000 a consideration rarely mentioned. The lots bears especially hard on local governmental units towns, cities, school districts for they don't get the rebates (donations) made by the state. As substitutes substi-tutes the legislature has proposed various forms of excises, but so far none has passed. The shrewd red-headed Memphis boas Ed Crump has mobilised sufficient votes to defeat alternative tax proposals. It seems that Mr. Crump is wet and proud of it So are his constituents. con-stituents. Therefore he wants repeal re-peal of the state's dry laws. And he figures thst if he csn defeat -' every attempt to make up for T V A's financial inroads, he can force even the drys to line up for hard liquor. Oddly enough, T V A's father is the bone-dry George Norris of Nebraska. Though It was probably far from Herr Hitler's mind though perhaps it wasn't his destruction of Cxecho-Slovakia has strengthened strength-ened the isolationist group on Capitol hill. For it demonstrated that the dictators won't be checked by verbal or military warnings from Washington. It was Munich the surrender of the democracies before der fuehrer's air might which inspired in-spired President Roosevelt to demand de-mand a larger navy and aviation avia-tion force. The same consideration considera-tion led Great Britain and France to rearm so feverishly and to buy in the United States. It was F. D. It's private hope that this show of democratic unity would dissuade Messrs Hitler and Mussolini from further aggres--Ions. The antitotalltarian movement move-ment was supposedly reinforced by the Catholic church in the choice of a pope and a papal secretary sec-retary of state unfriendly to the dictators. The world. Including President Roosevelt and the congress, settled set-tled back comfortably to await evidence of Herr Hitler's reaction reac-tion to this spectacle and exhibition exhibi-tion of condemnation. And instead in-stead of responding as expected, he breaks up some more Ciecho-Slovakian Ciecho-Slovakian china. In Capitol hill cloakrooms it encourages ths bloc which thinks that Uncle Sam ought to keep his powder dry but also mind his own business. The house and its leaders on both sides of the aisle recently demonstrated its dislike for Cabinet Cabi-net Member Ickes. It was a rather petty exhibition, but it reveals re-veals how deeply the boys and girl dislike the erstwhile pooh-bah pooh-bah of the administration. During consideration of the Interior In-terior appropriations bill Representative Repre-sentative Dudley White of Ohio moved to strike out about $36,000 from Harold's publicity fund. The motion was upheld by a standing ' vote of 63 to 51, but the Democrats Demo-crats called for "tellers," mean-in mean-in a procession through the middle mid-dle aisles In which noses are counted. The OOP whips immediately im-mediately snapped into action, rounding up members from corridors, cor-ridors, cloakrooms, the restaurant and their offices. But the Democratic Demo-cratic bosses didn't stir from their seats didn't attempt to reeruit partisans smoking on the leather benches only SO feet away. And the result was 92 to 89 against the secretary of the interior. The incident also cast critical light on congressional psychology. When Mr. Ickes had P W A mil-liona mil-liona to spend, the members gave him whatever he wanted unanimously. unani-mously. But now that his cupboard cup-board ia bare of money and hometown home-town projects, they give him ths razzberry. Thurman Arnold's attempt to stampede Capitol hill Democrats into support of his antitrust campaign cam-paign haa flopped. Members of the house subcommittee on d. of j. appropriations are unbelievably cold to his eloquent arguments. Behind closed committee doors the bill la still in the talkative stage Mr. Arnold has argued for an amazing increase in funds for his office, which means at least treble the staff he employa now. He wants the cash right away in the form of a deficiency appropriation; appropri-ation; he can't wait until the 1940 money bills come up for discussion. discus-sion. Besides noting the lack of antitrust success so far, the Democrat Dem-ocrat refuse to bind next year's members by building up such a large force that It must be continued. con-tinued. A few Democrats asked If Mr. Arnold realized that the next house might be Republican, and quite antagonistic to all this trust-busting. No, he hadn't Underlying reason for the committee com-mittee chilliness is conservative Democrats' utter lack of sympathy sympa-thy with attacks on bigness as such. Th great antimonopoly crusade haa blown up in the face of the demand for administration cooperation with private business' and Industry. Th antimonopoly committee itself will be lucky if it wangles a new appropriation of only $600,000 it wants two millionwith mil-lionwith a note attached, to wit: "Pleas hurry up, wash up and make your report" Copyright McClure Syndicate |