The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-08
Washington
Merry-Go-
Round
BY DREW PEARSON and
ROBERT :. ALLEN.

M ASHINGION. NOV. S.-Nau
w Germany has just sold the
United States an important consign-
ment of steel.
AS a result, the New Deal may
have more grief on its hands-this
time from both organized labor and
the steel barons, who for the first
time in years have found an issue
on which they stand united.
The steel is for the construction
of PWA bridge at Morehead City.
N. c. In accordance with the law.
the Public Works Administration
asked for bids on this bridge and
also on the Thorough Bridge in
New York. When the bids were
opened, German firm had bid low
er than any American firm.
American steel plants Immediately
protested, charging unfair COMPETE
ton. They submitted data showing
that the Nazis were subsidized by
the' Hitler government and that
they shipped the steel to the United
States as ballast.
The PWA replied that under the
law it was helpless. The law allows
only Is per cent differential be-
tween domestic and foreign bids.
and the Nazi bid was % per cent
under the lowest American offer.
The steel companies countered
that the Treasury. in some cases.
had allowed IS per cent differen-
| tial
The PWA threw responsibility on
Controller General McCarl.
The steel barons and labor rep
resentatives then took the fight di-
rect to the White House, where Sec
| rotary Marvin Mcintyre promised to
investigate" That was the last
heard from him.
Three days later the Nazi firm
was awarded the Morehead contract.
The contract for the New York Tri-
borough Bridge was held up. APP
parently the fear of repercussions
is being considered
Meanwhile the steel companies
and laborites are planning to fight
the issue publicly. When the Nazi
steel reaches Morehead they pro-
pose taking photographs and dis
tributing them throughout the
country.
A CHUNKY little man, with the
L N manner of a bantam rooster.
popped in at the Writers Projects"
office of the WPA one morning,
and dropped a suitcase on the floor.
He mopped his brow, breathed
deeply and announced: Il am a 20
pound poet!"
But just what do you mean?"
queried Reed Harris, executive ed
itor.
Il am a 2O-pound poet" he re-
peated. There it isl" He pointed
to his suitcase. Il have written
20 pounds of poetry and want the
government to publish it"
NHILE neutrality congressman
w were storming at the Presi-
dent in the closing days of the ses-
sion, and telling him they would not
give him the power to determine
who was an aggressor, they did not
realize that they left in his hands
a tremendous power to guide war
opinion.
1t is an obscure paragraph near
the end of the Communications Act
of 1884, entitled WAR Emergency
Powers of President"
That paragraph, known as 606(c).
gives the President complete control
over the shaping of public opinion
through radio. And the United
States need not be at war for him
to exercise that power.
In case of war, a threat of war.
or lin order to preserve the neutral
ity of the United States, the Presi-
dent may 49,. . cause the closing of
any station for radio communica-
ton and the removal therefrom of
its apparatus and equipment, or he
may authorize the use or control Of
! any such station bv any de-
partment of the government
n
THERE is touch of irony in the
l. fact that one of the measures
throttled by the filibuster of the
lately assassinated Huey Long would
| have established a Bureau of Crime
Prevention.
AS it is now, Atty. Gen. Homer
Cummings must wait until Congress
convenes before he can set up his
new laboratory with his hand
picked professor. Special Assistant
Atty. Gen. Justin Miller, in charge.
Miller may turn out to be a rival
Of j. Edgar Hoover. 1t will be his
job to prevent the crimes which
Hoover's "G-men" are engaged in
detecting.
Copyright. 1888, by United Featurs
Syndicate Inc)