Show GENERAL r HUGH S s. s JOHNSON JOHNSONS aa S 0 d ff U WAR VAR DEPARTMENT HARRYS WASHINGTON There There is something something something some some- thing smelly in the war department Part of it is too many Harrys Because Because Because Be Be- cause Harry Woodring wouldn't agree with Harry on a restrictive tax policy that paralyzed airplane and other production production pro pro- production for about eight months he had to walk the plank In his place came another Harry Harry- Wrong-Horse Wrong Harry Stimson He came apparently because he had just made an all out all out interventionist speech proposing something perilously perilously perilously per per- close to a war alliance with England At least he proposed the joint use of naval and air bases which would for all practical purposes purposes purposes pur pur- poses make us a belligerent in this wa war I Certainly he didn't come to speed defense on the real front of the Battle Battle Battle Bat Bat- tle of America which America which is at the moment moment moment mo mo- ment the industrial front Nobody can argue that because that would require a dynamic figure figure figure-a a man who knows something about that job Wrong-Horse Wrong Harry not only doesn't know anything about it but he is about as dynamic as a shelled oyster When he came the assistant secretary secretary secretary sec sec- of war was by law charged under the secretary's direction with making plans and preparations for our present two great tasks tasks indus indus industrial trial and man power mobilization A system for this had been under understudy understudy understudy study and discussion for many years The assistant secretary Mr Louis Johnson after many false starts and anda a good deal of galloping in place had at last got his stride He had learned his job He had finally captured the confidence not only of the army but also of industry and the public Things were beginning to hum The appointment of Mr Stimson was a direct violation of a promise to him of that portfolio The promise was not kept and the default proved to be even more than that for Louis Johnson S Mr Stimsons Stimson's first official act was to demand Mr Johnsons Johnson's official head on a silver salver He wanted his own man That fratricidal request request request re re- re- re quest was granted and regardless of its not disconcerting not to say paralyzing paralyzing effect effect on the Battle of America Mr Stimson brought in his own man Judge Patterson Bad as this helter playing of ducks and drakes with national defense might have been in 99 out of cases it turned out that thai Judge Patterson was just the kind of guy who could overcome the handicap of such reckless monkey- monkey business He was a soldier himself and a common sense administrator In record time he corralled the confidence confidence confidence con con- of everybody involved army industry public hen T-hen something happened The President wisely decided decided decided de de- de- de to appoint Judge Advocate General Gullion Gullion-a Gullion a natural natural to to conduct conduct conduct con con- duct the selective service draft Wrong-Horse Wrong Harry boiled over Gullion would be appointed over his dead body He wanted Colonel Hershey whom Gullion intended to use as his deputy There is nothing the matter with Hershey Together h ho he and Gullion would have been the most perfect team in America Alone and next to Gullion Hershey would be the best selection That isn't the point The point is the I testy petulance of one stubborn feeble old man and his selection of secretary of war in m this crisis In the meantime the selection of ofa a draft administrator is deferred pending agreements when such direction is needed needed tragically Also all these matters are to be taken away from Mr Stimsons Stimson's own handpicked handpicked handpicked hand- hand picked Assistant Secretary Patterson Patter Patter- son son who who was going to town S S DRAFT TROUBLE This column recently criticized the appointment of Elliott Roosevelt aged 30 as captain in the air corps and his assignment to some desk job in procurement Elliott is within with with- in the selective draft age limits AlI Although Although Al Al- I though gazetted as a specialist there is no information that he has any special training or experience either as a soldier or as a purchasing ing agent Now according to a press dispatch dispatch dispatch dis dis- patch Elliott says I am a disgusting disgust ing old man who went through the thelast thelast thelast last war as a soldier but served only at a desk I dont don't know what that has to do with the merits of this case In 1917 I had been a soldier soldier soldier sol sol- sol sol- dier in the regular army for 18 years ears I served in the places I was ordered to serve Among those places I was in command of combat combat combat com com- bat troops troops troops-an an infantry brigade of ot the Eighth division It and I were aboard a convoy destined for France when the the- Armistice was signed Elliott is reported as protesting that he didn't ask for any special assignment and that he wouldn't have been drafted anyway r because he has a wife and two children Maybe the boy didn't ask for any special assignment but men can be commissioned in the officers Reserve Reserve Reserve Re Re- serve corps only on their own application application application ap ap- ap- ap and request Such is the law The actual draft regulations are not yet published I dont don't know what they will say about married men with children but this I know from the law itself there itself there is no such absolute exemption |