The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-12-24
Crises Forgotten As w ashington
 Worries Over
 Foreign Scene

Washington, Dec. 24.--The do' nestle situation, calculated to in- spire the filters from more angles than one, has been almost forgot ten ct the White House since the Japanese bombed and machined the U. S. gunboat Panay on the YangtSe river.
 oficial assurances that the in- ternational situation is "tense" or "criticap have been given out ostentatiously with an obvious in- tent to get the people of this coun- try worked up over 1t.
 Such tactics reflect the degree
 to which the Far Eastern problem
 has absorbed the president, the
 admiraIs, the diplomats, and other
 advisers. OfElcials who have tried
 to get presidential action on prob-
 lems and crises here at home will
 testify privately that it's hard to get the presidential mind oR China.
 Nevertheless there is still a de- precision in this country, with no assurance that 1t won't get worse after the first of the year, and the fate of the wage-hour bill has been shown that P. D. R.-for the time being, at least---has lost. con- trol over congress. Much as he may prefer the international stage at this time, Roosevelt will have to turn and face these problems again.
 Throw Treaty Overheard
 If this government takes any strong action toward Japan, its first move, according to present plans, will be to throw overheard the Nine- Power Pacific treaty with public announcement that Japan already has figuratively torn 1t up.
 Since Japan's promise to respect China's territorial integrity was one of the pledges swapped for America's promise not to fortify possessions in the Pacihc-except Hawaii-Tokio would then be advised that the U. s. would feel free to establish naval or airplane bases on American territory wher- ever 1t desired. This might or might not be followed promptly by a fortifcation program in the Philippines, or establishment of an air base in the Aleutian Islands. Delivering a Death Blow
 Boss Frank Hague, labor-baiting mayor of Jersey City, N. J., delivered one of the final death blows under which the wage.hour bill was buried In the house. Almost at the last minutes Hague, whose police have been deporting labor union organt- gers from the city where Hague ad. mits he is the law, telephoned to members of New Jerseys Demo- cratic congressional delegation and caused a switch of several votes which were subsequently, cast for rccommittal of the bill.
 Nevertheless Congres W Q m n Mary Norton. who owes her seat
 to Hague and his machine, stuck
 to her guns, and as chairman of the house labor committee fought
 to the end to save the bill.
 She made a perhaps fatal error when she permitted department of labor lobbyists, and state labor commissioners influenced by them, to persuade her into substituting for the five-man administrative board proposal Q provision for ad- ministration of the proposed act by a labor department adminis- trator.
 Fathered in Darkness
 But that was naivete. She fought the best she knew how, although subjected to some embarrassing heckiing such as the following:
 Congressman Grlswold of ln- diana; "The gentlewoman from New Jersey said she had mothered this child which was dropped on her doorstep. cannot believe that she really mothered 1t. If the gen- tlewomar from New Jersey had mothered this child 1t would have . different aspect from that which 1t has now"
 Mrs. Norton: T said l was the s--------------------=----