The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-02-24

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 Harry's life has been just one accident after another, and being very much like a cat with nine lives, he somehow manages to land on top.
 Harry's first big political acci- dent was the rift between Kansas Republicans in 1880 which found liberal Governor Clyde Reed at odds with conservative John Ham, ilton, now chairman of the Re- publican National Committee. While their backs were turned, Harry sneaked into the governors chair in Topeka.
 The next accident occurred in 1883 when Pat MaIlOy of Ok lahoma was offered the job of assistant secretary of war, and being in high-hat mood refused, only to wake up next morning with terrible pains of anguish to find that the vacancy had been given to Harry Wood ring.
 Accident No. 3 occurred with the death of the secretary of war, George Dern, and accident No. 4 followed close on its heels when the President discovered a law providing that no acting" Secre- tary of war could remain acting" for more than 30 days. So with other things to think about in the middle of the 1886 campaign, Roosevelt made Harry his bona fide secretary of war.
 Everyone expected that the President would reshuffle his cabi- net after reelection and that Harry would be shuffled out.
 But here the stork played into Harry's hands. He and his lovely young wife, the daughter of Sen ator Marcus Coolidge, have been so busy having babies that the President, being rather a paternal person, hasn't had the heart to transfer Harry elsewhere.
 Accidental Air Junket
 Other accidents have occurred in the life of Harry Woodring, and one of the more recent ones has been bringing him lot of ac- claim. This is the trip of the six giants Army bomberS to Buenos Aires.
 Real truth is that Harry vetoed this trip. The State Department put it up to him several weeks ago and urged that the planes be sent to President Ortiz's inaugura- ton as a move to offset Bruno Mussolini's flight. But Harry said TO. He didn't have any planes to be wasted on a junket of this kind.
 Then by the Sheerest accident, a neWSpaperman who writes for various South American newspa- pers thought of the idea of send- ing bombers to Argentina and went to the State Department. It replied that the idea already had been turned down by Woodring.
 But the newspaperman, know
 ing how things run in the War Department, went around Wood ring to his Assistant Secretary of War, Louis Johnson. John
 son, who is dynamic, hard
 hitting individual, thought the idea was grand, and immedi-
 ately took it to the President.
 Roosevelt was equally enthu- siastic and sent virtual order over to Woodring that six Army bombers should fly to Buenos Aires for the inauguration of the Ar genuine president. The President did not mention, however. that Assistant Secretary Johnson had sold him the idea. So next morning in General Staff meeting. Harry Woodring announced the air junket to Argentina.
 He thought he was disclosing something to Johnson for the first time and Johnson did not dis illusion him. Probably not until he reads this will Harry appreci- ate the accident which caused him to get all the kudos and acclaim from sending the flying fortresses tO bueIlOS AlTeS.
 No Philippines
 Recently Harry has been of- fered several substitute jobs in place of being Secretary of War, one of them being High Com missioner to the Philippines. But Harry says that the Philippines are no place to educate children.
 It has become so apparent that the President would like to pro- mote his Secretary of War to some other job. that Harry has become representative abut it, as the guests at a dinner given by MT. and Mrs. Chip" Robert the other day can bear wit ness.
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