The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-12-19


 Washington, Dec. 19-Poor old Cordell Hull is having a run of hard luck. With his chief bete noir, Professor Moley, and his clan out Of the way, lie now has another appointee slipped over his head.
 The latest is George Peek, re- tiring chief of the agricultural adjustment administration. Peek is given the job of negotiating tariff bargains with foreign coun- tries to promote the export of American farm goods.
 The irony of it Is that for a decade COrdcll Hull sat on the ways and means committee of the house, opposed republican members fin boosting tarifR rates, became the greatest tariff au- thority in the democratic party.
 Now for the first time in his life Hull gets a chance to lower tariffs-and Peek is put over his head to do the job. DEVOTED TAMMANYITE
 Antonio Gonzales, American minister to Panama, owes his appointment to his good friend Barney Baruch, but he is even more devoted to Tammany Hall. So much so that when Mayor elect Fiorello LaGuardia re- gently visited Panama, Gonzales tried to put crimp in his re- ception.
 He sought out President Arias, advised strongly against an off, cial welcome to the Fusion vic- tor. Arias, who knew LaGuardia as a militantly liberal congress- man and regards him highly, was amazed.
 "But, Mir Minister,"N he pro- tested, "Major LaGuardia Is the mayOr-elect of your city, the largest in the world. In your newspapers I read that the office of mayor of New York is the third most important political post i'm America"
 "He is only mayor" Gonzales explained. "Tammany has got the power. It is still boss of the city.'
 President Arias was unim- pressed. He not only personally welcomed LaGuardia, but gave a big reception in his honor, had the city of Panama make him an honorary citizen.
 Gonzales kept aloff, and La Guardia gave him the cold shoulder. He did not call at the American legation though he paid his respects to other Ameri- can officials.
 CUBAN RECORD
 Current history is writing a good many failures into the record of Sumner Welles as am bassador to Cuba. Long distance history will probably write the opposite.
 Experts on Cuban affairs point out that every dictatorship is fol- lowed by period of chaos. The present trouble in Cuba could have been prevented by no am bassador.
 Welles did, however, accom- plish three real things, which future historians will chalk up to his credit. They are:
 1. The outsing of Dictator MachadO, tool of American bankers and squeezer of the Cuban people.
 2. Selling to Roosevelt the conviction that under no cir cumstances should American troops be landed on Cuban soil.
 8. Convincing Roosevelt that the Platt amendment was out of date and should be junked.
 SHORT AND SNAPPY
 Members of congress back for the approaching session say the word is quietly being passed to them that the president wants it short and snappy."
 They are being told that the White House plans to exert every effort to prevent a long drawn out siege, will seek to persuade congress to wind up by April 1, at the latest.
 To push its program, the ad- ministratiOn will use the same strategy worked during last springs special scssion-(IOmin- ate the legislative calendar with it's own bills to the exclusion of everything else.
 But the idea of a short session doesn't sit well with the mem. bers, for various reasons:
 1. Long accustomed to hay ing n free hand over the legis- latiye calendar, most of them resent having it run by the firm hand of the White House.
 ?. A short session would mean limited opportunities for political OratOry-a most i'm. portant phase of every Iegis- lativc meet. The republicans eagerly await the drop of the gavcls to unlimber their guns against the president and are particularly incensed over the "short and snappy" program.
 3. With congressional eIec- tions due next year, members are far from eager to get through early. Most of them want the session to run into July at least, so they can use their chambers as forums for lOIlg-range campaigning. DISSATISFACTION