The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-09-26
NeuU DeaI Loses Great Character La Johnson
Coinced Many Picturesque, Slang Expressions During
 Tenure-C -ChiseIers' Crack Down. Dead Cats

Washington, Sept 2e.--(UP)-- When Gen Hugh S. Johnson arrives Oct IS in his recovery adminis- tration office to "close the window, lwalk out the door, whistle to the dog" and return to the world of private affairs, the New Deal will lose its greatest creator of front page stories, political controversy, and vigirous voculary.
 The siang-slinsing general thus described his ultimate exit months ago saying Thank Godi have no political ambiti0ns."
 Coming to MIRA with the back. ground of administration of the world war draft act, Gen Johnson captured the newsInen who ftocked to his press conferences by stating that MIRA would be operated in "A goldfish bowp' where all could see. Later he authorized gag orders forbidding his staff Go talk with reporters or to give out of ficial papers.
 As code-making progressed, the word '.code" took on new meaning. Millions of Americans glibly dis- cussed codes of fair competition, and soon blue eagles began to | fly in every place of business. The firms which didn't cooperate were
 designated by Johnson as "chisel- ers."
 Away slight men," he told his critics, you are corporals of dis aster now." Again he hailed them as little men with loud voices, | frantically waving puny red flags
 of false and futile warning" | A writer who dared to describe Johnson without signing his story was suspected of more than a 1 Don't start trifling with that | the blue eagle and added you ain't seen nothin' yet"
 Perhaps most famous of hiS
 slang utterances was when he ex- 1 pressed hope that the public would crack down" on Henry Ford for not signing the automobile code. He admitted NRA ifnpeffeetiotis
 but said S,00O,000 men could not Le put to work with $3,0O0,000,000 added purchasing power by sitting around like Buddhist lan1as con-
 templating a lily bud"
 l When the public recovered from | the evangelestic fervor which ac- companied the MIRA drive and cri- tical comments were aimed at the
 recovery unit, Johnson characte . ized the comments as ''dead cats.
 He often referred to "dead cats'' 1T; public speeches, and in January found them fewer in number" and having lost some of their ripe ness and velocity"
 The Darrow board was set up to
 investigate MIRA oppression of the little business man. Johnson
 crossed swords repeatedly with Darrow, veteran master of words and argument.
 Steel industry labor leaders drew the administrators fire when they
 suggested that he could learn about their problems by leaving his air.
 cooled office and scorching his
 summer pants at steel mill fur
 mace.
 Sizzling words came in reply. Speaking over @ nationwide radio l hookup and to the ladies garment
 workers convention, Johnson said,
 q have worn enough skin off the
 part of me that fits into g. saddle. | Cor used to), riding over the flat
 lands of Texas and the hills of
 Arizona, to make half-dozen such critics as they"
 In colorful words, Johnson pre- dicted at the beginning of his blue eagle leadership that his tenure of office would be short. He said taking the job was exactly like
 a man mounting the guillotine on
 a bet that the axe would not work"