Show HOoI D Marshall Works Hard HardT T THE pHE WASHINGTON rumor factory is probably the most active and the most irresponsible in the world Tales cooked up in lin capitol hill lobbies lobbies lobbies lob lob- bies the drawing rooms of at high society or in a taxicab conversation are arc spread as fact within a matter of hours bours The story that the late Franklin Roosevelt was insane and had to tobe tobe tobe be chained to his bed at night was wasa a good example One confidential news agency believed it to the extent extent extent ex ex- ex- ex tent of at relaying it to its many thousand thousand thou thou- sand customers Latest Washington canard is that Secretary of Defense George Marshall Marshall Marshall Mar Mar- shall is in his dotage and unable to come to his office more than a half halfa a week On the contrary I can ban can state that Marshall though 70 is probably in better health than before his kidney operation gets to Io the office before 8 am a.m. has the papers read and sent out of his office by around am a.m. and puts in a full day six week working even on Saturday Marshall Is alert his memory is amazing and he seems completely on the ball Furthermore Marshall has put the old uniform aside and andis andis andis is trying to run the defense department department depart depart- ment as a civilian This writer had some skepticism about this phase of Marshalls Marshall's new job when first appointed appointed appointed ap ap- ap- ap pointed secretary of defense but the skepticism appears not to have been justified Feed Cattle-Feed Shortage Secretary of Agriculture Charles Brannan had been at daggers' daggers points over government farm policies for tor some time with the man he fired last week Ralph Trigg chief of production and marketing Main reason the ax fell was that the production of certain vital farm crops crops chiefly chiefly cattle feed feed is is desperately desperately desperately des des- behind our defense goals About tons of grain will be needed to feed our greatly expanded population of ot beef cattle and hogs this year However farmers farmers farmers farm farm- ers have planted or scheduled for planting only enough acres to produce produce produce pro pro- duce tons of at feed grain Corn will be about acres short of the acre production lion tion goal fixed by Brannan which Brannan-which which Trigg was supposed to deliver At the same time we have more beef cattle and andover andover andover over more hogs to feed this year than in 1950 The pinch may not be felt feU this year because because because be be- cause of grain feed reserves However with these reserves exhausted we will face a serious serious seri serl- ous Otis cutback In cattle production for defense needs needs and and therefore therefore therefore there there- fore a meat shortage shortage shortage-in in 1952 Manpower shortage on the farms Is one reason reason perhaps perhaps the chief one one for for the failure to divert more grasslands to planting feed grain Presidential Pique President Truman's pique and an economists economist's desire to throw off oU his new deal label arc are back of the administrations administrations administrations administration's ad ministrations ministration's tragic failure to clamp on price controls six months ago This told never story starts last year when the elder statesman Bernard Baruch publicly came out for price controls Real truth was that the White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House and national security resources resources resources re re- re- re sources board were at that very time toying with the same idea But when Mr Truman heard that the white haired New York financier was for tor price controls he reversed himself The President had put Baruch on his SOB list when Bernie refused to serve on a Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic committee in the 1948 elections elections elec dec and Truman didn't want to tobe tobe tobe be in the position of coming out for price controls just after Baruch did Another factor was the strong opposition to controls by Leon Keyserling then acting chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man of the council of economic advisers Keyserling a. a former d dep department e p a a. r t men t of agriculture economist and assistant to Sen Bob Wagner was being attacked by Right Winters on capitol hillas billas hill bill hillas as a wild-eyed wild radical Keyserling an able economist but subject to human ambitions wanted to be named chairman of the council and gain acceptance as asa asa asa a the road adviser And at that time he told both the President President c dent ent and Stuart Symington chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man of the resources board that controls were unworkable In one consultation with Symington Keyserling Keyserling Key Key- serling argued that high prices would in fact be bc helpful by draining draining drain drain- ing lag off oU excess purchasing power and its competition for goods services services services ices and materials needed for re reo re- re armament Washington Pipeline Illustrating the Washington canard canard canard ca ca- ca- ca nard factory here is another I heard recently Drew Pearson has now sold out to Pan American airways He got a tree free trip to Europe with Pan American and is now in their pocket Real fact tact is that I paid my way to Europe on Pan American as I have on every other airline However I do not hesitate to pay tribute to Pan Americans American's efficient operation across the At At- lantic |