, 1935-05-31
WASHINGTON
BY Ray Tucker

Scanty - Members of our Army
General Staff are secretly amused
each time the headlines banner SEN
Sational stories about Herr Hitler's
lie land ornaments.
The United States has the same
modern equipment. But the brass
hats" are not advertising it. out OF
fear OF domestic pacifistS rather
than foreign spies. Sift. rubber-tir-
cd tractors will haul heavy guns and
ammunitiCn carriages at so miles
an hour the next time. They will
maneuver at only slightly less speed
ever rough terrain. Tanks will tray-
leI az the same rate. 1T needs only
further study to step up the speed.
Doughboys will do squads right" In
motorcycles. and they will shoulder
deadly semi-automatic rifle as pow
erful as the 1918 machine gun.
Germany has one advantage over
US. This country has only a few
experimental weapons In this class.
Hitler Is supposed to have stored up
vast quantities.
Possible Controller General
McCarl doesn't take his presidential
boom seriously. He has told friends
that he would be the last man the
politicos would choose If they cher
ished any hope Of whining.
His reply to Senator Norris at
tack on his anti-TVA ruling was the
first notice he has taken Of criti-
cism in IA years. There was a SEN
timental rather than a political rea-
son for Ii. He served IS Senator
Norris secretary many years ago and
the two have maintained a close
friendship. Mr.. McCarl admires his
old boss. The personal attack from
this quarter hurt deeply.
Mr.. McCarl may have an outside
chance to cop the COP nomination.
II the republican ktng-makers de-
eide that 1t Is smart politics TO take
a licking next year while waiting
around for 1910 they might pick Nc
Carl. The selection Of this apos-
tie Of economy and the regular or
DER could pile up good will in sold
quarters.
RoverS - An unpublished story
of the transients' trek furnishes New
Dealers with cause for optimism
or so they think. Although May
figures show a seasonal increase I'm
the number on the highways they
fall below the summe figures OF
other years. Statisticians say that
the wanderers are finding Jobs or
heading for home to get in on the
work-relief program.
Estimates OF the number OF these
hard-luck gypsieS vary. But the to-
tai is placed at between 100000 and
400 900 800 much less than early eX-
perts thought. Almost go per cent
have been on the move for six
months or less. About nine per cent
confirmed migrants new have
been cumming around" for from
two to four years. The majority are
white. young. native born. unSkilled
and male. But about 2 per cent Of
the unattached" - that is non-fam-
lay roverS - are young women. Most
of them come from the unskilled-
worker class.
The aristocrats Of the road are
the hitch-hikers. Hitch-hiking pre-
serves their clothes, and a neat APP
~pearance enhances the chance for a
steady job. The lower classes -
there are social strata even in the
Jungle" and freight-car-travel BY
box-car. Family groups get about in
ramShackle cars. One family OF ia
Their. mother and sever children
rides In what was a 5000 car In It's
4. 0. b. salad days.
Troubles These roamerS pre-
Sent a comparatively limited prob
lem In point Of numbers. But Har-
~ Hopkins worries nights over them.
The longer they keep on the move,
the more ~anti-social they become.
They think that the world and its
brother owe them a living. They get
surly and troublesome and less fit
for a return to normally"
Bumming becomes an art - OF SCI
ence - and the veterans assume the
prerogatives of a professor. They
teach all the courses to young new
Corners. They tip. first Of all. where
TO 90 for good al and food, and
what sections to avoid. They call
West Virginia the doodle state
because t~rAnsients must work on
the road. Another spot to slip
around Ks River Junction. Florida.
There the authorities beat you up.
Railroad detectives. buddy. are fair
IN easy-RoinG-except in New Eng
land. Shipments Of broken lots OF
valuable and negotiable freight
make the railroad dicks" hard-boil-
ed in that territory.
Negroes and the foreign born
make up only a regiment Of this field
army. Colored people don't like to
move fast. and they become lone
some for their families. Norma
tiyes prefer 10 huddle with people OF
their own race in urban centers. The
pre- iudices against them in certain
sections is strong and sometimes vo-
lent.
Decision - The spirit Of caution
which has marked recent New Deal
moves reached a climax when the
treasury decided to let bidders make
their own offers for its bonds. In
the past the treasury and reserve Of
ficials framed terms on the basis OF
|wt-t they thought the money market
would stand. What they are doing
now Is to pass the buck 10 the lend
Iers.
Secretary Morgenthau has obtain
ed extremely low interest rates on
recent issues and r~efundingS. Some
--~~ Anvo rr,nalnd that he mas