The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-12-09

vided over the matter. One group,
led by Secretary Cordell Hull, Is
strongly for negotiating new set
Elements with the defaulted Eu-
ropean debts. Another, headed by
Vice President Jack Garner heat
eddy opposes any reopening Of the
issue.
Hull Is chiefly responsible for
the sudden revival Of debt dis
cussion. Fanatic In his desire to
push his reciprocal trade policy,
the secretary Of state seized on
the war debts as lever for new
trade pacts.
It was the intimation that war
debt concessions might be bar
gained for trade concessions that
underlay the burst Of ballyhoo
from Paris about French govern
ment preparations to seek q new
debt settlement.
Before the President departed
for South America, Garner
warner him against meddling
with war debts. The plain talk
ing Texan bluntly asserted this .
would court certain party dis
sension and political disaster.
Garner is telling friends that
Roosevelt insisted he had no In
tention TO engage in any debt
revising negotiations.
SieSta
It was like a scene in a mu-'
steal comedy when Governor
Blanton Winship fell asleep In
conference the other day.
The stately governor of Puerto
Rico was giving audience In the
the Interior Department to the
district attorney of the city OF
Ponce, and two other lawyers. 1t
was not siesta time, but Winship
got sleepy, nodded, closed his eyes,
slumbered.
With an expression of embar-
raised surprise, the two lawyers
looked at their colleague. But the
district attorney was undismayed.
He had had experience with Win
ships weakness.
He continued to speak. But what
he spoke was gibberish Standing
before the governor, he intoned:
"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah :"
Presently Winship blinked, and
opened his eyes.
Still unruffled, the district at
torney promptly became articu-
late: by analogy Your Excel
lency
And he launched afresh into
his discourse.
O'COnnOr'S Scalp
There Is more to the fight over
the democratic floor leadership
of the House than the acrimoni-
Gus tussle for the post itself. The
issue is not entirely the admins
tration's desire to put Represent
tative Sam iyayburn in this key
spot.
Certain New Dealers also want
to Gust Representative John o.
Conner, the Texans leading
rival, from his strategic POSITION
as chairman Of the powerful
Rules Committee.
This committee controls the
the legislative program OF the
House. On more than one oc-
casion O'Connor has used his
POSITION to shelve bills he dis
liked.
Stalled Guffey Bill
Sponsors Of the Guffey coal bill
largely blame O'Connor for the
failure of the measure to get
through last session.
They assert he stalled 1t In the
Rules Committee 80 long that the
adjournment rush was In full
swing by the time the bill was
passed by the House and reached
the senate, allowing its foes to
axe 1t by filibuster
Undercover resentment against
O'Connor ON this count was one
of the chief motives behind last
weeks action 70 theh twenty
six Pennsylvania democratic
congressman, who declared for
Rayburn. The United Mine
Workers are q political power
In the state, and they expressed
their opposition to OConnor In
no uncertain terms.
The drive to strip O'Connor OF
his Rules craftsmanship is en-
tirely sub rosa. But there re
potent forces behind 1t, both in
and out Of the administration. 1t
Is not unlikely that before o.
Conner gets through he will find
himself fighting not to be floor
leader but to have his commit
tee Craftsmanship.
When Hamlet Wept
Rear Admiral Harry q. Hamlet
doesn't know that he came within
an ace Of settling the protracted
maritime strike.
The reteired commandant Of
the coast guard was sent to San
Francisco as q special emissary
Of the u. 8. Maritime Commission.
to see II he could obtain an
agreement between the warning
seamen and ship operators.
Hamlet was eager to make good
on the assignment. He is one
Of the most jealous candidates
for appointment to the Maritime
Commission. He felt that II he
settled the strike he would greatly
improve his standing In the
Presidents favor.