The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-12-28
BY RODNEY BUTCHER

b1 HODCNE | DUICHER Waterbury Democrat Correspondent
 Washington, Dec. 28.-"Slush fund.-" is no new campaign cry, but 1t will be yelled louder in the 1886 presidential campaign than ever before.
 The harder the democrats find their attempts to raise funds-and it will be worse than pulling teeth, from present ndications-the louder will be the "holler" at the spectacle of a republican party raising mul- lions with ease.
 At secret political conferences be- tween Roosevelt and democratic leaders, the money question is often raised. The new deal high command is seriously disturbed by the antici- pated size of the g.o.p. war chest and the probable slimness of its own.
 Chairman Henry P. Fletcher ap- pointed a money-raising committee of 16 wealthy men and the presi- dent was recently told that, two members of the Fletcher committee had already obtained pledges for $15, 100000.
 Certain high officials have whis-
 percd that wealthy men would
 spend up to 30 millions to beat
 Roosevelt. New dealers are spread
 ing the tale that Chairman "Win-
 nie" Aldrich of Chase National
 bank said the sum should be
 $5O,OO0,OOO.
 These reports may be well found- ed. or mere indication of new deal | jitters, but they represent actual belief. You will hear lot more of the same.
 Certain men whose names you would recognize have prepared a tight corrupt practices bill, which probably will be introduced at the next session of congress. AK Falls on MIRA
 About 1250 MIRA employees sud- denly have been fired. Not because Christmas is here, but because con- gresS is coming.
 Inasmuch as MIRA really was killed more than six months ago, congress would have had 8 field day shooting at the large staff which it retained.
 Weeks ago NRA chiefs were told to make drastic personnel
 cuts. But they didn't seem to get
 below 2500 workers. Every time they fired someone a senator or a representative
 would telephone and raise the
 devil. And all they could think
 of to do was put the employe back to work.
 Then suddenly MIRA heard from the White House via the budget bureau. If MIRA didn't trim hard and fast, the president would issue a proclamation dissolving it com- pletely Jan. The proclamation al- ready had been prepared.
 So 1250 hands were cut of at orce. More will follow.
 Sad Is MT. Abell's Lot Trials of a Washington newspa- perman are sometimes severe and a case in point is the recent experi- ence of George Abell, society col- umnist for the Washington Daily News.
 MT. Abell covered the swell-ele- gant diplomatic reception at the White House. Conscientiously he re- ported that dignified Mime Munir Ertegun, wife of the Turkish am- bassador, had lost a pink slip" in the brilliantly lighted east room and that Commander don Umbrto Cugia, the Italian naval attache, had pick ed it up and handed it to her, un- der the impression that she had dropped her handkerchief. | Half an hour after publication next day, the entire diplomatic colony had read the story or heard about it by telephone. Indignation was rife among the Turks. MT. Abell was luncheon guest
 that noon at the Greek legation.
 He found M. Charalamb0s SimO-
 poulos, the Greek minister, wear
 ing fiendish grin. He found out
 why when M. Simopoulos led him
 by the arm to group and said:
 MT. Abell, will you please take Mime Ertegun to lunche0n?" l The situation was made no less painful when MT. Abell found Sit- ting opposite him none other than Commander Cugia, who looked at him very sourly indeed.
 T am very interested in the art icles you write. MT. Abell. They are so spirituel-so spirituel.' And as Abell explained no harm had been meant: T trust you MT. Abell. I trust you utterly-when you are '. .th me-"
 Copyright 1885 NEA Service Incl RATS AID FOUR STUDENTS