The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-27

regarding a loan. Its final ever since a protracted StrI
 Jesse Jones, however, has turned down the loan. He says that it would give the impression that the Roosevelt administration is trying to subsidize the press.
 Meanwhile, Roosevelt's peeve at the press continues, his latest ir- ritation being expressed at the confidential meeting of the Ameri- can Society of Newspaper Editors, which sat with him for a couple of hours one night last week.
 Instead of taking the editors into his confidence on such mat ters as foreign affairs, or domestic objectives, the President delivered a lecture on the prejudice of the press. Some of his points un- doubtedly were well taken, but since Roosevelt has delivered simi- lar lectures during the past three years, the editors marked down the evening as dud.
 Spanish Gold
 It never leaked out at the time, but Secretary Hull once had highly significant confidential talk with Miles Sherover, financial agent of the Spanish government. He brought Hull a personal letter from Premier Negrin, ill which Negrin offered to make cash pay ment on all Spanish debts owed in this country. Also he made it clear that the Loyalists were anxious to encourage American capital and technicians. once the war was over, to free Spain and p to break the British throttlehold over their economies.
 Aside from nationalizing the railroads and munitions, Negrin in- formed Secretary Hull, Spain pro- posed to retain the capitalistic system.
 MT. Hull listened, said few vague words and the interview was ended. The Spanish debt proposal was neither encouraged nor further discussed.
 Later, Norman Davis, shrewd ambaSSadorian trouble-shooter for the New Deal, asked his old friend Hull why the State Department had been so enthusiastic over the Hungarian debt proposal yet had not even mentioned the more gen. crous debt offer made by Spain.
 We do not want to embarass France and Great Britain" re- piled Hull, regarding the fact that they have made no offer on their debts."
 Secret Diplomacy
 Tremendous publicity was given the text of the Italo-British agreement last week, but no men, ton was made of one of its most important, though secret, deals. This was a British loan to Italy for the development of Ethiopia. In return for this, the British re- ceived Italian assurances that British mines in Spain would be protected, following a Franco vic- tory.
 In other words, if Franco wins, the British still will have throttle hold on Spanish economics, and the American businessman can have the leav- ings.
 NOTE-In other words also, Britain now helps colonize the country over which she nearly went to war with Italy.
 Blacks Successor
 Lister Hill, the slender, 44-year old World War veteran who suc- ceeded to the Senate seat of Jus tice Hugo Black has been making good his New Deal campaign pledges in big way.
 With fifteen years experience as a congressman, Hill stepped into his senatorial harness in full stride. Result: in four months he has forged to the front as one of the hardest hit ting administration scrappers in the Senate.
 The Alabaman was White House shock trooper in the fierce battling over the government re- organizati ton bill, did heavy gum ming against IVA critics in the fighting over that issue and is now a spearhead of the Presi- dents drive to put through the new relief-recovery program. Sig nificant of how highly Roosevelt regards Hill is the fact that he was picked to lead off the national radio offensive for recovering spending.
 Secret Tax Strategy
 Contrary to expectations, it was the capital gains and not the undivided profit tax that supplied the fireworks in the final secret tussle between the House and Senate conferees. When the two groups resumed OFF THE RECORD