Imperial Valley press., 1936-04-05
News Behind the News
Government Munitions Plants FdrOr-
ed Committee Estimates Cost :.
Report Made :.

WAsHINGGTON-The Senate Munitions
Committee. winding up its spectacular career
with series Of reports, VIII recommend ana
offer a bill for government ownership OF muni-
tions plants
Existing production facilities for primary
munitions could BE- taken over tor about sos
100000 the committees experts estimate mat
would cover naval Smpbuldlng. machine guns
and other arms. shells and projectles. armor
plate. and at least airplane factory.
The reports will include a general survey
of the munitions industry and its operations
report on the costs OF munitions manufacture
including shipbuilding-and one the adequacy
or inadequaey Of existing neutrality legislation.
Proposals for naturalization of the muni-
tions industry viii be bitterly fought by munl-
tons makers the army and navy, and passage
of the bill for that purpose which the committee
will present is doubtful
The opposition will claim that nationalist
ton would cripple the country IN event OF war
although this hardly seems true o. battleShipS.
Their building requires long periods and they
must be reaoy before hoStillties.
Tests of public sentiment. however have
shown enormous interest in the munitions prob
lem and strong support for government produc-
ton
The correspondents corps here has been in
clined TO laugh at the Townsend Plan in times
past. but more recently it has concluded that
the committee investigating the OARP plan is
also good for plenty Of laughs.
Poorly prepared. the committee rushed into
Bell of Missouri because so many congressman
were eager to get ammunition against the Town
sendites in time to Use in primary fights.
In the first couple OF days the quiz revealed
that r. E. Clements. brains" OF the organiza-
ton work and co-founder Of the movement, had
been paid S12.585 in 1935-not very much Eor a
big time Washington lobbyist-and that OARP
had collected at least a million dollars.
But the sessions in general were very boring
indeed. partially due to the fact that many
repettive and apparently unimportant questions
were asked the dapper. suave Clements and part
" to the ease with which the committee man
aged to get itself baled up without even trying.
MI Jimmy Sullivan the assistant city
prosecutor Of Kansas City, acting as committee
counsel. contributed heavily TO the boredom.
He spoke in a theatrical, meodramatic draWl
and gave Clements several opportunities to
Phrase Sullivan's questions so they would be
clear.
The committee took one on the chin when
Sullivan. for the 10th or 1lth time, quizzed
Clements on a story in the Townsend Weekly
which was based on a congressmans charge on
the floor that investigators had adopted back
alley tactics"
Il presume" Clements remarked, that the
Townsend Weekly paced 100 much reliance on
the authenticity of the Congressional Record"
Whereupon everybody had good laugh on
the congressman and Chairman Jasper Bell be-
came incensed and threatened to clear the room.
The committee may reveal much more in
its quiz to discover if the Townsend movement is
a racket but Us early efforts make it appear that
it will get all tangled up in so doing.
Turkish government has decided to
remilitarize the Dardanelles zone A
wise move, if they intend to revive that
song.
The other night a crooner said, Let's
Face the Music which seemed irOnic,
coming from him.
To anyone who recently visited Pitts
burgh, and was unaware of the flood,
the first mental reaction must have been:
THE campaign is off,