Show Washington on merry merry- Round Merry o By Pearson a Drew WASHINGTON WASHINGTON One One war plant in which the president was particularly interested on his re recent recent recent re- re cent tour of the country was the Higgins shipyard in New Orleans Orleans Orleans Or Or- leans which turns out the famous famous famous fa fa- fa- fa landing boats used by the U. U S. S marines in the Solomon islands Higgins' Higgins proposed yard for building big freighters was stopped by the maritime com com- mission But his yard for building building building build build- ing small boats has continued in full swing and the president expressed expressed expressed ex ex- ex- ex pressed amazement and pleasure as he drove between rows of machines Beside him sat Andrew Jackson Jackson Jackson Jack Jack- son Higgins pioneer small boat builder On the other side sat Rear Admiral Frank T. T Leighton Leighton Leighton Leigh- Leigh ton commander of the Eighth naval district As they drove through the yard a superintendent handed Higgins a strange tube made of wood a yard long and six inches in diameter Handing it to Roosevelt Higgins said This is what the airplanes of the future will be made of Mr President Roosevelt examined it curious curious- ly It was made of thin strips of wood almost reeds woven to together together together to- to gether and covered with a plastic plastic plastic plas plas- tic substance which gave it extraordinary extraordinary ex ex- ex- ex strength Its stronger than num Higgins explained but doesn't weigh as much The president e ex expressed x p pre r e s s e d amazement handed the tube over to Admiral Leighton who examined it skeptically Humph he grunted I dont don't think much of it it You wouldn't jibed the president youre the navy Since then Higgins has explained explained explained ex ex- ex- ex to the army air corps how giant airplanes can be made of this new substance part wood part plastic With this new plastic developed by Harry Atwood Atwood Atwood At- At wood it is possible to turn excelsior excelsior excelsior ex ex- ex- ex shavings or seaweed into a hard firm but lightweight substance Higgins contends that even if there were no scarcity of aluminum aluminum aluminum num this wood-plastic wood is better for cargo planes Two hundred women could weave a plane together in a couple of months Higgins has told army aviators and demonstrated demonstrated demonstrated demon demon- how So far army re remain remain remain re- re main skeptical have given Higgins Higgins Higgins Hig Hig- gins the run However General H. H H H. Arnold head of the air corps has indicated that he may give the idea a trial The diplomatic files of the state department tell a revealing story regarding patient U. U S. S efforts to stop axis intrigue in Latin-America Latin long before Un Un- of State Sumner Welles finally cracked down with his blunt public warning that it must stop As early as June 30 of this year the state department sent an page 18 confidential memorandum memorandum memorandum memo memo- to the Chilean government government government govern govern- ment citing names of axis agents in Chile dates of their communications communications communications with agents in other countries and in many cases the texts of their messages Chile contended prior to June 30 and since that axis agents in Chile could have nothing to do with ships sunk in the bean However the detailed memorandum of the state department department department de de- de- de cited chapter and verse regarding ships sunk and information information information mation about their sailing dates all sent by axis agents This memo was transmitted to the Chilean foreign minister Barros Jarpa Jappa but nothing hap hap- Whether or not he transmitted it to President Rios is not known Approximately one m month o 0 n nth t h later the state department transmitted more conclusive evidence evidence evidence evi evi- dence concerning activities of axis agents in Chile But there were no Chilean moves to stop them Meanwhile Ambassador Michels Michels Michels Mich- Mich els in Washington genuine friend of the United States flew to Santiago and arranged for President Rios to visit at the White House It was proposed by Ambassador Michels that after President Rios had come cometo cometo cometo to Washington and talked with President Roosevelt Chile would break relations with the axis thus forcing axis agents out of the country However espionage activity continued Also it leaked out that Chilean President Rios probably would not break relations relations relations rela rela- after all would merely come to Washington go home then wait two or three months before breaking This would have aroused reo resentment resentment re re- o on the part of other good neighbors such as Brazil Mexico and Cuba already in the war up to the hilt and resentful of U. U S. S favors to a neutral na na- na- na tion Meanwhile Chile vetoed a proposal to permit J. J Edgar Hoovers Hoover's crack men G-men to come corne cometo corneto cometo to Chile and ferret out nazi agents So with the date approaching approaching approaching ap ap- when President Rios was to attend a farewell dinner at the American embassy in Santiago Santiago Santiago San San- SanI I tiago it was decided to clear the atmosphere The blunt Welles speech in effect was a clarifying warning that unless Chile was ready to kick out the axis it would be better for President Rios not to come Capital Chaff According to Clerk South Trimble Representative Representative Representative Charles R. R Clason of Massachusetts Massachusetts Mas Mas- Massachusetts is the only Rhodes scholar in the house of But there will be another next January William January William Fullbright editor of the Northwest Northwest Northwest North North- west Arkansas Times Fayetteville Fayetteville Fayetteville Fayette- Fayette ville whose nomination in the Democratic primary in Arkansas Arkansas' Arkansas Arkansas' Arkansas Arkansas' Arkan Arkan- sas' sas Third district is equivalent to election Chinese newspapers newspapers newspapers news news- papers have contributed more than in Chinese currency to the National Press clubs club's fund for J J. J B. B Powell American newspaperman who almost lost his life in a Jap internment prison Copyright 1942 United Feature Syndicate |