Show I R N NR R BE EN Washington D D. D C. C CANAL DEFENSE PLAN UPSET It isn't going to be announced but Nazi propaganda in South America America America Amer Amer- ica has upset U. U S S. S plans for an important important important im im- im- im new base defending the Panama Panama Panama Pan Pan- ama canal Plans had been carefully carefully carefully care care- fully laid for commercial development development development develop develop- ment of an island off the coast of Ecuador to be followed by naval installations But genial Jesse Jones innocently let the cat out of the bag and the Germans did the rest The island is known as Albermarle Alber- Alber marle marIe in the Galapagos group lying ly lying ly- ly ing ing- southwest of Panama a perfect location for watching Japanese maneuvers maneuvers maneuvers ma ma- near the Pacific entrance of the canal To inspect it Roosevelt went fishing there three years ago ngo when the U. U S. S S S. S Houston took him himon on a Pacific cruise Roosevelt had heard about the Galapagos since childhood od His uncle great Capt Amasa Delano put in at the islands on his voyages to China And his mother as a ayoung ayoung young girl stopped there on a voyage voyage voyage voy voy- age to China The President personally was responsible responsible responsible re re- re- re for the strategy of forming forming forming form form- ing an American trading company to develop Albermarle He knew the sensitive knew that a direct proposal for building a U. U S. S naval base would arouse amuse the old enemies of Yankee imperialism and that the only safe way was to set up a company for the development of fishing fishing fishing fish fish- ing and cattle thus bring the navy in edgeways s Accordingly the Pacific P Development Development Development Develop Develop- ment company was formed incorporated incorporated incorporated in Delaware and financed with funds from the First it got a credit of but later when a credit of half hall a million was extended Jesse Jones innocently innocently inno info Gently announced it to the press Jesse Jones' Jones Joke Apparently the naval stratagem was such a dark secret that even Jesse a member of the cabinet didn't know about it So he announced announced announced an an- it as nothing but a commercial commercial commercial commer commer- cial development because the is island island island is- is land was owned not by Ecuador but by a private individual And then he added a little jest of his I own And if ff you can spell the mans man's name said Jesse Ill give you the island The name is pronounced heel Up spoke a correspondent who knows Spanish well You spell it G i he said Tha t s right said Jones Go Goto Goto to the head of ot the class No said the newsman I want the island Ill owe you the island said Jones and everybody laughed I But there was no laughter in the I navy department for German propaganda propaganda propaganda prop prop- I through wave short-wave radio and local newspapers stirred up the theold theold theold old fear of Yankee aggression intimating intimating intimating in in- that a U. U S S. S naval base off the west coast of South America America America Amer Amer- ica would make little puppets of the Good Neighbors for all time The propaganda was successful and the deal had to be cancelled It may be that the Pacific Development Development Development Devel Devel- company will still pursue its livestock fishing and mining of sulphur as provided in the concession concession concession con con- cession but President Roosevelt's dream of a Panama defense base is sunk MORE CRACKDOWNS You can put it down as a certainty that there will be other crackdowns crackdowns crackdowns crack crack- downs in ill addition to the one on the Chicago juke box firm for bootlegging scarce raw materials Priorities Director Donald Nelson said nothing about it but he has his gimlet eye fixed on a big steel plant an auto manufacturer and others Both have been secretly thumbing their noses at priority re re- re- re The auto maker was called on the carpet by Nelson and spent several uncomfortable hours trying to explain explain explain ex ex- ex- ex plain the unauthorized purchase of ofa ofa ofa a large quantity of strategic materials materi materi- als and the action of a parts subsidiary subsidiary subsidiary sub sub- selling such supplies When the auto executive left he was red-faced red and obviously wor wor- ried The steel company is suspected of secretly filling orders for big customers customers customers cus- cus in direct violation of defense requirements particularly naval An investigation is now under way The company has a long history of battling battling bat bat- the government and the fur will fly if the suspicions are substantiated sub sub- Note After Nelsons Nelson's investigators finish with their aluminum inquiries they will move into chemicals where there have been n numerous complaints complaints complaints com com- plaints of wholesale disregard of priority priority orders ROUND MERRY Informed that defense officials want to use her famous legs to publicize publicize publicize pub pub- silk non-silk stockings as soon as she has recovered from rom her fractured fractured fractured frac frac- ankle movie queen Marlene Dietrich sent back word that she stands ready or will will- sit if ff 1 preferred preferred preferred pre pre- for any patriotic purpose One subject that Speaker Sam Rayburn always is ready to talk about is his Texas ranch I like to be known as a rancher he grins although I haven't got much to show for or it |