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Washington Digest. Politicians Settling Down To Practical Things Again By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator. WASHINGTON. — With the mighty fanfare of the Democrats ,an inauguration day a fading memory and even the brave words 'of the Republicans on Lincoln Day less than a whisper out of the {past, the pracical politicians on both sides of the aisles in the house and senate are hard at their practical politicking. The sudden re-entrance of Governor Dewey on the political scene was something that took many of his fellow Republicans by surprise. 'Nevertheless, it would seem that many who don’t like him because he lost last November and others who didn’t like him enough to help him win last November, are willing to change their minds and really work Sat his election to the senate in 1950. They think he has a chance for the seat which Senator Wagner has held so long. f'- 1 I BAUKHAGE There is a tendency on the part of Democrats to shrug off this dis- To take on Sen- [ ator Wagner in his prime would have been no small venture. But since the aging Senator from New York has been ill for such a long period it is taken for granted that he will not run again in 1950. It is | suggested that per haps his son, an up and coming young | tant possibility with “Dewey can’t do that either!” in his own right, might at tempt to fill his fathers shoes. That is always good political practice, for more than one eandidate with a former hero’s name, has been swept into of fice by voters who either didn’t know their idol had de parted or else thought a candi date by any other name couldn’t smell as sweet. It was often declared that a number of old- timers had a vague feeling that FDR and TR were, if not the the same, at least approxi mately the same person. Meanwhile the Republicans are rapidly solidifying their forces for a concentrated battle over the re peal of the Taft-Hartley bill, and the way the atmosphere feels at this writing, Republican senators are offering the nearest thing to a filibuster that can be offered with out actually being labelled one. April is contract day for a good many unions and the race is to get the Taft-Hartley act off the books before then. If the Republicans can keep on amending and arguing past that date, it will be a distinct, if only temporary, victory for them. It must have been quite a shock for the labor leaders to learn that the administration didn’t think that labor won the election. Labor did a tremendous job for Truman, put in a lot of hard, fast cooperative work, dovetailing their programs with the efforts of the regular par ty workers. But one Harry Truman did a lot at work, all by himself. When the A F. of L. and CIO heads came down to Washington early in Jan- INAUGURAL COLOR FADES Bach to practical politicking uaxy laying their demands on the line they were somewhat annoyed to find a number of top Democrats polite, grateful and gracious, but also just a little coy. , Newsmen outside the office door when an A. F. of L. delegation was waiting for members of Senator Thomas' labor and public welfare committee, heard much desk pounding and one voice was strong enough to penetrate the thick panel- Bng: “We went np and down the country ballyhooing for the re peal of the Taft-Hartley act. And that’s what we want now.” But the practical politicians in the bouse and the senate knew they were facing the fight of their lives. They knew they could count on some Republican support, but only if they sent down a bill which had something in it beside straight re peal. That is why the .administra tion ordered a “one-package” meas ure, one that contained certain positive provisions. The unions were willing to let the old Wagner act come back into force, but the administration knew that was the wrong approach since there was considerable popular sentiment against undoing all that had been done in the way of scotching ■trikes. Shake-Up Hits Probe Committee One of the interesting changes wrought by the election was the re organization of the un-American activities committee. This strange child, bom of a desire of one Demo cratic congressman to check Nazi and anti-Jewish activity in this country back in the days of Hitler had become a problem child for the administration. The father of the idea (it was a New York congressman), saw his offspring kidnapped at birth. It was seized by Republican Hamilton Fish of New York and later by Rep. Martin Dies of Texas and brought up in quite a different man ner from what was intended. The Democrats were pretty cmbarrased with the committee before Dies was through with it, and when he decided to with draw from the Washington scene they tried to squelch it but failed. It had proved too good a headline-getter for its members. Then along came the Republicans In 1946 and grab bed it, making it one of the administration’s number one headaches. As soon as Democrats returned to power they saw to it that the com mittee, now an accepted institution, was cleaned up. By one twist and another, they managed to eliminate all of the old members but one. Representative Wood, who is chair man. Membership was limited to lawyers, which was logical enough, for its faults were those which no honest lawyer would condone, and it was reformed to recognize civil rights and to conform to some of the fundamental principles of justice and civil rights with which the original organization scorned to bother. Witnesses are now per mitted to give their side of the case, be represented by counsel if they desire. Nothing has been done to hamper its effectiveness, and it should be able to render a real service from now on. As Rep. John McSweeny (D., Ohio) one of the new members, said: “The spy hunt should be carried to a logical conclusion, but I will not permit innocent men and wom en to have their names and char acters besmirched by unfounded and unsupported accusations.” The un-American activities com mittee, as it was run before it was cleaned up was an institution which simply could not continue to exist in America. It used methods which Americans will not tolerate, be cause if there is one thing an American demands, it is the right to be considered innocent until he is proved guilty. “Who steals my purse steals my trash. . . . but he that filches my good name robs me of that which not enriches him and makes me poor indeed.” * * * Commies at Work In Ivied Halls One of the jobs which the com mittee under J. Parnell Thomas, was preparing to do was to investi gate communism in American col leges. That sent the universities and colleges into jitters for fear academic freedom would be throttled as other freedoms had been by the fanatical members of the old group. However, there is no reason at all why a judicial investi gation of this particular subject shouldn't be undertaken. • Canada received a distinct shock recently from Dr. Watson Kirk- connell, president of Acadia uni versity. He made an analysis of the report of the Labor Progressive Party university students confer ence at Toronto last fall which was published by the SATURDAY NIGHT, a weekly magazine pub lished in Toronto. The report is a 14,000 word document which presents the Communists’ own views on their position7 in Canadian univer sities. It reveals, according to Dr. Kirkconnell, that there are militant Communist “nuclei” on the campuses at McGill, Toronto, Winnepeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Vancouver, all under rigid party discipline. There are known to be a number of similiar groups, doubtless work ing with the same party techniques, in this country. In some places they are considerably weaker than they used to be. WINNER AND TROPHY . . . Steve Wittman of Oskosh, Wis., poses with his trophy after he had won the Continental event in all-American air maneuvers in Miami. IT’S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT . . . Through a trick of perspective and camera angle, this German V-2 rocket appears to dwarf the 555-foot Washington monument. The rocket, however, is only 55 feet high and is a part of the armed forces exhibit on the monument grounds. The V-2 Was powerful enough to be one of the Nasis’ most effective weapons in the attacks on Great Britain. I THE ACID TEST . . . While California was shoveling snow, its citrus-growing and weather rival state of Florida was, as the saying goes, “rubbing it in.” This time it was Nevada Smith, who poses with Florida sun- kissed oranges. SOME NOTES FOR THE RECORD . . . Grandchildren of Vice-President Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky add a few marginal notes to the Congres sional record. They are Alben W. Barkley, II, aged four, and his sister, Dorothy Anne Barkley, six. They are seated at the former senator’s desk in the upper chamber. DISLOYALTY SUSPECT . . . Samuel L. Wahraftlg, AMG aid, is pictured in a telephone booth upon arrival in Boston. He was flown to the U. S. by military transport to answer disloyalty charges. SACRIFICE SUBJECT . . .Alma Bolster, of Bremerhaven, Ger many, is the reason James Mc- Avoy, American seaman would renounce his citizenship so he might marry her. ONLY THE BRAVE PROTEST THE FARE . . . But in this instance it appears to be doing little good. A husky Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, cop is doing some vigorous necking here with Evandro Caxato, one of 24 stu dents of the National Union arrested in protest riots against a planned increase in Rio car fare. Three street cars were stoned and set on fire by the demonstrators, who, police said, were members of the young Communist league. Ail were released after questioning. DENIES RUMOR . . . W. Aver- ell Harriman, U. S. Ambassador- at-large, denied upon arrival in U. S. that he planned to quit post because he was not chosen secretary of state. He declared he would remain in his post. INAUGURAL PRESENT FOR PRESIDENT . . . President Harry S. Truman stands besides a clay model of the bronze bust, by Washington sculptor Felix de Weldon, which was presented to the President during Inauguration week. The presentation was made by the Democratic national committee. The bust carries an inscription written by Presi dent Truman, himself. It reads: “Our goal must be not peace in Mg time—but peace for all time.” _ THOSE INVENTIVE RUSSIANS Pravda claims Russia flew an airplane 21 years before the Wright brothers’ Kitty Hawk flight. And Prof. V. Danilevsky tells the Soviet Academy of Science that the Rus sians invented the telephone, the electric light, the radio, the ship's propeller and jet propulsion. That leaves us with nothing but the zip per and the windshield wiper. • We took these claims up with Dr. Elmer Twitchell and he says they are correct. “It was Russia that gave the world the submarine, the telegraph instrument the mov- icg picture camera, gunpowder, the talking machine, the safety razor, the electric ice-box and the first radio commercial,” he de- c 1 a r e d. “I thought everybody znew!” • “We owe the automobile to Mos cow, too,” Elmer went on. “Henry Ford was really a Russian named (van Fliwercoffski. He got the idea of a low-cost car from Igor Model- teevich. Thomas Edison went to ussia as a spy and stole the iecret of the electric light, the I phonograph and the movie camera | from a fur trader named Menlo Parkovich. Tom got into a meet ing of engineers where no Russian was eligible unless he had per fected an incandescent bulb and two types of movie cameras. He escaped discovery due to the fact ne wore a red beard and would yield the floor to nobody. • “At that time every Volga boatman was experimenting \ with a talking machine. Edison stole the idea of the spaniel in the trademark called ’His Mas ter’s Voice.’ It was really a Russian wolfhound. I * Russia not only invented the telegraph but the first singing tele gram was sent by one Boris Kolo- novopopoff of the Imperial Rus sian Opera. What we call the Morse code is Russian. The dots come from the old, old Russia and the dashes from the old, old, old, old Russia. • “As for the radio, Lenin’s grandfather had his own net work, and one of the early radio radio features was a fel low called Arthuromov God- freydovitch. They also had a team cat'-.4 Amosoff and Andy- ozoff. And Ella Fitzgerald says the Russians had the first jack pot program. It was called ’Stop the Mujjik’.” * Dr. Twitchell went on to say that his father remembered the time the Russians invented and flew the first airplane. “It was invented by one of the early Marxists and was propelled by expletives. It had no wings. Marxists hated wings be cause of the suggestion of religion. They just used a tail, a forked one,” he said. * “My old man said the Russians couldn’t get their first Russian plane off the ground at first, but that a couple of pre-Soviet writers did it with an editorial. The plane stayed up only a few minutes. It could have stayed up longer except that the inventor and operator wanted to get down and denouce somebody,” Elmer concluded. • • • WASHINGTON DIAGNOSIS The country is in splendid shape Good is the Union’s state; Our system is a booming one— So let us operate! t # No other system touches ours It’s busy, strong and fit — Hence it is quite apparent that There’s something wrong with it. • • • There was terrific Irony in the last stage appearance of Willie Howard. It was only recently, in the tryout of a new musical. His big sketch was on the topic of hos pital routines and he made his en trance on an operating table! No one dreamed that he was to die in one very soon. We saw the first performance of the new show, which was pretty terrible at that time, and were puzzled by Willie’s lack of form. There was a marked difference in his appearance, too, and for the first time in our experi ence he wasn’t funny. Little did anybody in the audience sense that Death was teaming up with him this time, a new and strange part ner after long years of merry go ing. • • • The Pilgrims were a backward lot, They seemed to slave and drudge it; They fought the Indians without a billion dollar budget. # The early settlers were quite quaint — ; When Redmen came full swing. They didn’t cry for guarantees Against that sort of thing. • • • The Tories are calling the Presl- dant Harry Delano Trusvelt. President Can Help < J ANUARY is a month when we have come to think of inaugura ting Presidents and of raising money for children who cannot walk. In addition to children, news papermen became sA long accus tomed to a President who also could not walk, that they have been a little slow to realize that the Presi dent of the United States can now drop in on his friends on Capitol Hill without' the least effort, and can amble in and out of the capitol’s entrances as fast as anyone else when he takes the oath of office. For so many years was it neces sary to build long, slanting ramps up inclines in order to avoid steps for the President, that people in Washington became quite accus tomed to it and took it for granted. And during all the years Franklin Roosevelt was in office, the news papers, including those hostile to him, said almost nothing about his infirmity. Even in private conversa tion people did not talk too much about the fact that the President could not walk .They just felt sorry for him and didn’t mention it. Only on his birthday was his in firmity brought home to the public, and then in order to help others stricken with his dread affliction. • • • An Idea for Truman Today this column recalls these facts because as Franklin Roose velt’s birth again approached, and as the span of years since his death increased, it is only natural that the money-raising effort which he in spired should somewhat diminish. Therefore here is an idea which may help revitalize it—an idea by which one President can help the work started by another. Harry Truman not only can walk, but he can play the piano. And de spite the advice of his daughter to stick to his few favorite tunes, a lot of people think he plays rather well. They enjoy hearing him. Only a very few of the American people, however, have had the pleasure of hearing him. He has played at the dinners of his Okla homa oil heiress friend, Mrs. Perle Mesta. He has played at the Press Club, and in the privacy of the White House. And while it might not be dignified for the President of the United States to play before a large audience, there could be nothing wrong with Harry Truman’s making two or three records for the Amer ican people for the benefit of Roose velt’s infantile paralysis fund. For instance, if the President should make a phonograph record of his old favorites, “Missouri Waltz” and “Anchors Aweigh,” I predict they would sell in the millions. • • • ASCAP Offers Aid To test out the idea, I put it be fore Fred Albert, head of ASCAP (American society of composers, authors and publishers). Albert has written a good many songs himself, including two which sold over two million—“I’ll Get By,” and Bing Crosby’s theme song, "Where The Blue of The Night Meets The Gold of The Day.” So he can be consid ered something of an authority on music. Furthermore, as head of ASCAP he is something of an authority on the sale of records. Fred Albert’s reaction was imme diate. He volunteered to obtain a waiver of all royalty rights from the authors of Harry Truman’s fa vorites, and also offered to pay a good share of the cost of mrking the records. The only reason he didn’t offer to pay all the cost was because he feared the sale would run into so many millions it would bankrupt ASCAP. Anyway, there is an idea—an idea by which one President can help cure the affliction which struck another President. The records could be dedicated: "To a crippled President who helped a crippled nation—from Harry Truman.” * * * Inaugural-Go-Round Out-of-town detectives imported to augment the secret service were being paid $30 a day during the four- day inaugural. Five hundred of them, drafted from neighboring cities, wore a secret insignia to identify themselves to each other. . . . Ex-Sen. Curley Brooks of Illi nois, Republican, who arranged the money for the inaugural, couldn't get more than two seats for himself. He thought he was making the preparations for the Republicans. Now he is defeated, and the Demo crats are spending the money. No wonder senators were calling the inauguration “Curley B r o o k s’ wake.” . . . Ten thousand Dewey buttons turned up in Washington, distributed by the Freedom Train. What happened was that the Amer ican Heritage Foundation was able to get salvaged Dewey buttons at bargain rates and covered them over with freedom slogans . . . Oklahoma’s flying L quartet, which was bringing its barbershop har mony to the inaugural, had to sing without accompaniment. ROLLER RINK FOR SALE—AU or part in terest. South’s largest portable. J. A. FALK, Gen. Del., Belle Glade, Florida. NEW MODERN TOURIST COURT and pictures. A. MeCONNELL, Indian River City. Fla. FOR SAI.E—Battery factory & repair shop In operation. $!,0O0-*l,S00 monthly. Z yr. lease. Ideal location for expansion, storm protection, health. Nearest battery shog^lOO ml. Sacrificing $3,000 business for large house trailer. $1,500 batteries, supplies at junk price. Furnished apt. cheap. HOTT J. WILLIAMS Vick’s Battery Exchange 217 Lime St., Sebring, Florida. Widow Must Sell Tourist Court Ten miles south of Melbourne. U. S. 1 on beautiful Indian River. Four acres with ri- R arian rights. Seven furnished renting units. nens included. Modem conveniences. Now operating. Must see to appreciate. Sacrifice $18,000. Terms can be arranged. M. D. BRIDGES GRANT, FLORIDA. DOGS, CATS, PETS, ETC. DACHSHUND PUPPIES AKC reg.. excel, ped. B. & T. and red. Male and female. B. ADAMS. Wesleyan Dr., Macon, Ga. Phone 3533-M. BOXER PUPS sired by International cham pion Sure Fire. Dam Alfrieda Von Doran. Flashy show type matron. This mating has produced some extra fine pups. Four malea—- four females, seven weeks old. $100 up. This mating has 21 champions in four generations. D. D. TEETER 3y. 27, Stanfield, N. C. HELP WANTED—MEN MAKE EXTRA MONEY Salesman wanted. Samples on request. See Kelp Co., 214 47th St., Newport Newe, Ve. MISCELLANEOUS ROLL FILMS DEVELOPED! All SUPER (oversize) PRINTS. 8 expo»ur« roll, only 40c: 12 exoosure roll, only 60c; 16 exposure roll, only 75c. O’HENRY PHOTO SERVICR , Greensboro - North Carolina. mn FOR SALE Cruiser 36x11, Chris Craft 165 h. p. motor, sea to shore radio, custom-built. Will trade I in car or trailer. % farEO. S. DALES, R. D. 1, Vero Beaeh, Fla. FOR SALE—One china firing kiln, prewar make,, in good condition; stilts to stack china on, etc. Will not be responsible for shipping nor hauling it. Come get it. $100 CASH. MRS. ERDELLE W. VICKERS, Madison, Ga. Phone No. 27. EIGHT BICOLORED FRENCH COLONIES FREE to approved applicants. Everrladaa, 279 N. W. 57th Street, Miami, Florida. PERSONAL FISHERMEN ATTENTION Now available. The Fisherman’s Friend, all steel leader wire twister and cutter, all in one tool, fits any tackle box. Sturdy 5% in. x 3 in. Cadmium chromed. 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