The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-07-17

get acquainted Will IH0 west.
This trip will be solely to give
the country an opportunity to
get acquainted with him.
WHITE HOUSE GOSSIP
Gossip-mongering about White
House incumbents is not new.
Woodrow Wilson, Harding, even
Coolidge and Hoover suffered
from 1t. There was the fantas-
tic story during the last cam
paign that Hoover had suffered
a stroke. Again, the wild yarn
that Hoover had shipped some
gold out of the country on the
eve of the banking crisis, and
was being detained in New York
after Roosevelt's inauguration.
The present innuendoes deal
almost entirely with the presi-
dents health. Most of them
emanate from Wall street. Most
Of them are pure fiction, some
weirdly fantastic.
Most current is that Roose-
welt has developed state OF
hysteria, has become moody, ir-
ascible, subject to violent fits OF
temper. Another story is that the
president is in such bad shape
that Mrs. Roosevelt will be nom-
mated in his place.
At first they were not taken
seriously at the White House.
Those who see Roosevelt daily
realize that he is standing up
under the strain probably bet
ter than anyone else around him.
But as the rumors grew, the
president himself determined to,
make the trip west when con-
gress adjourns, in order that the
country may see for itself that
his health, his good humor, his
poise and patience, all are ex-
cellent.
SISSY
Environment, as any psycholo-
gist will tell you, Is a potent in
fluence. Take for example the
case of Rep. Vito Marcantonio
of New York.
When the first hot breath of
summer hit Washington, Marc
antonios colleagues broke out in
white linens. But he shifted
disdainfully. Sissy clothes"
said he. "Up in my district we
don't go in for such get-ups."
But with the capitals notori-
GUS humid heat in full blast, the
other day there appeared on the
floor of the House new Marc
antonio, cleaning i'm a suit OF
snowy white.
Obviously self-conscious, Vito
hurried to his seat. Members
about him smiled, but refrained
from comment. 1t looked as II
he were going to escape joshing
when suddenly up sailed his
radical partner, Maury Maverick.
The Texan was one of those to
whom Vito had boosted. Nav
erick eyed him from head to
foot, then leaned over and in
loud stage whisper said:
"Sissy!"
SECRET BRAIN TRUSTER
Tom Corcoran, headlined as
personal lobbyist for the presi-
dent on Capitol Hill, is unique
figure and one of the most brill
liant in the New Deal.
Only "a years old, he has been
a one-man Brain Trust for the
president on a dozen important
projects, always with success.
Hitherto he has avoided the
mistake of other famous Brain
Trusters-publicity.
1.-THE others all went after
epaulets," says Corcoran. But
since I have no epaulets, they
can't take them away from me-
Officially Corcoran occupies an
obscure position with the RFC.
Actually, jesse Jones gives him
q free hand to work on anything.
As a result, he has been the
key man behind the Stock Ex-
change Act, the Truth I'm Securi-
ties Act, the Holding Corpora
ton Bill and the Social Security
Act.
Corcoran hobs in and out of
the White House like an ami
mated shuttlecock. If he want
ed It, he could have been ele-
waited to the White House Sec
retariat, but he chose the
shadows of the RFC.
Grandson of New England
sea captain, Tom was initiated to
Washington as secretary to JUS
tice oliver Wendell Holmes. I'm
til the veteran jurist died, Tom
read to him regularly every
Sunday evening. Their favorite
book was THE Education of
Henry Adams"
YOUNG POLITICIAN
Brilliant student of Felix
Frankfurter, Corcoran also
learned politics at Harvard. He
got up a peoples candidate"
for class president against a
Harvard blue-blood and elected
him.
After college, he joined Sena-
tor McAdoo's former law firm,
Cotton and Franklin, where he
amassed a small fortune, lost 1t,
came to Washington.
Corcoran was showed into the
limelight once before when
Rep. Fred Britten assailed his
his home-the Little Red
House. in Georgetown--as GEN.
ter of New Deal radicals. Others
living with Corcoran are Ben
Cohen, famous co-author of
various New Deal bills; Judge
Johnny Burns, of the SEC; and
Gerard Swope, son of General
Electric's head.
Corcoran's greatest distrust is
marriage. He Is never seen I'm
Washington with a woman.
His office hours are from
10 a. m. until a. m. He takes
no vacation.
Despite a mind like steel, Cor
coran has all the loveable emo
tions OF the Irish. He Is more
addicted to human beings than
to principles. He will never let
down n friend. Once, when be-