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Show SPI General JOHNSON mi Jays; Murphy and Jackson Are Rabble Rab-ble Rousers Unfit for Their Jobs and Jim Cromwell Couldn't Even Sell Peanuts. By HUGH S. JOHNSON WASHINGTON. Mr. Murphy moves up to the Supreme court and Mr. Robert Jackson becomes attorney general. There isn't any use saying anything about it except that it could have been worse. There is little to distinguish these gentlemen gentle-men for such positions except that they are radical New Dealers and Third Termites. It might be supposed that an experienced ex-perienced jurist, or at least a lawyer law-yer of passable distinction, would be better qualified for a place on the highest court in Christendom than a zealot and lame-duck politician without presumption to either professional pro-fessional qualification. But Mr. Roosevelt does not think so snd here in particular it might have been worse. Indeed, it has been worse, as witness the appointment of Hugo Black. The new attorney general is a brilliant young man distinguished most in official position by business-baiting business-baiting utterances and demagogic speeches. Mr. Roosevelt may now in words condemn such tactics in a plea for unity as ranging "class against class," but this appointment of about the most effective oratorical rabble rouser In his official family is sure to send a chill down the spines of the "economic royalists." Tolerant as Wild Cats. If actions speak louder than words, these two appointments just about cancel out the heart of the President's speech opening congress and asking the country to balance the budget by increased national income in-come through united effort, "calmness, "calm-ness, tolerance and co-operative wisdom." These radicals have about as much tolerance as a cage full of turpentined wild cats plus a couple of Ickes. The appointment of Mr. Edison as secretary of the navy was a recent decision. Mr. Edison has not of late been the apple of the President's Presi-dent's eye. He, with Assistant Secretary Sec-retary Louis Johnson, are supposed sup-posed to have been in the dog-house - imiiiii - -- "-"a A PEANUT VENDOR! ! Jim Cromwell is that to General Johnson; John-son; Doris Duke does not agree. for what has been called "premature" "prema-ture" appointment of the dolorous Stettinius preparedness committee. Naval preparedness and construction, construc-tion, in spite of millions appropriated, appropriat-ed, had not moved with the zip, speed and smoothness that might have been expected. Perhaps Mr. Edison has been put under a pulmotor. He starts by proposing the power of commandeering comman-deering and compulsory orders, not merely in war but in "emergency." Emergency could mean anything. If the secretary of the navy can't get his supplies with millions to spend, he is little more likely to get them by taking over industrial plants by commandeering. The proposal may show a new galvanic crackdown vigor vig-or in Mr. Edison but it doesn't show much sense. Could Peddle Peanuts. But I have saved the prize for the last. Mr. Cromwell Doris Duke's husband is to be our diplomatic representative in Canada. I wouldn't say a thing against Mr. Cromwell except that, if he were a little better equipped, he could acceptably ac-ceptably peddle peanuts. He has no qualifications whatever as our minister to one of the warring war-ring nations in this world crisis except ex-cept the contribution he and his wife have made, or may make, out of her tobacco fortune to the New Deal campaign chest Of the other appointments, I have said they might be worse. This might also be on the theory of the doctor who advised a victim of halitosis hali-tosis to eat strong cheese and garlic to improve his breath. Shooting Hull's Pants The tariff is the prickliest subject in politics. Watch the drum-fire barrage bar-rage being prepared to shoot the pants off Secretary Hull's reciprocal trade agreements. A Welcher's Squawk. Lord Beaverbrook, British lord of the press, says that President Wilson, Wil-son, General Pershing and eight congressmen, "encouraged Britain to think that the war debts would be canceled and that the money was in lieu of immediate manpower." It is a poor time to revive this Uncle Shylock British alibi. The allies al-lies never asked us for anything in that war that we did not give without with-out a single selfish reservation. Lord Beaverbrook's is a welsher's squawk. |