The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-02

about what may happen t during his absence.
 Without exception, they were against his leaving the Capital at this time. They remembered disconsolately what happened a year ago when at the height of the Supreme Court battle he blithely went vacationing, to re- turn three weeks later, his lines disorganized and the opposition sweeping the field.
 The New Dealers don't consider the present situation as critical as the other, but among them selves, they gravely question Roosevelt's judgment in taking chances. They feel that he should have stuck to his desk until the recovery fight was over and the legislation in the bag.
 Brain-Fagged
 The few intimates with whom he discussed the matter, the President explained that he was shaking the dust and clamor of Washington for the simple reason that he was brain-fagged and needed to clear his head of the turmoil in order to get long, distance view of where the coun- try was going.
 Since the break of the reces- sion last fall he has been the center of ferocious vortex of conflicting counsel. During his Warm Springs stay he was con- stantly immersed in shaping a recovery plan. When he re- turned, this strain was intensi- fled.
 Therefore a few days from tele- phones, callers and conferences, Roosevelt feels, will do him worlds of good, will put him in shape to lead an aggressive fight for the recovery program.
 ''PuddIer Jim" Davis
 Senator James J. Davis, Repub- lican Senator from Pennsylvania. rides either on the crest of the wave, or the bottom. His luck runs in streaks. Born in Wales, reared in the heat of 8 Pennsyl- vania steel mill where he got the name "Puddler Jim," Davis rose to the heights of Secretary of Labor in the Harding, Coolidge and part of the Hoover AdminiS- trations.
 For an immigrant boy this was a real climb. Davis made it partly through the Gall of the Moose" of which order he is the head; also by belonging to almost every other fraternal order in the coun- try, including the Masons, Odd Fellows, Elks, and Knights of Pythias.
 But it was the Loyal Order of Moose which later brought Jim's luck crashing. He was in- dicted for violation of the lot- tery act, charged with using the money for other purposes than the aid of Moose widows and orphans, and only after long -drawn-Out trial managed to escape conviction. His name, at that time was mud and SO was his political future. Col- leagues in the Senate scarcely spoke to him.
 But now the wheel of politics has turned again, and Jim's luck is on the up. Out of the clear blue, the Democrats of Pennsyl- vania broke into terrific fac- tional feud, and with their previously unbeatable machine torn wide open, Puddler Jim may walk back into the Senate. Real Optimism
 Regardless of his chances, Davis never will admit that he is licked. His optimism is boundless. Noth- ing faxes him. Some time ago a United Mine Workers convention in Pennsylvania booed Jim to the rafters, but when a friend later expressed indignation at the cat calls, Davis remarked that it was all mistake.
 "What do you mean, mis- take? They certainly weren't cheering you"
 "Now that is exactly what they were dcing," Davis de- clared. There were a few boOs, but the great majority of the delegates were cheering me-"
 "Well," said the friends dubi- ously, "Tm glad you feel that way about 1t, but just how do you figure 1t out?"
 "A lot of the boys are mem- bers of the Moose" Davis ex- plained. "Well, the boys talked it over before the meeting and decided to give me 8 hand when my name came up. The signal was to be the Moose call, which is like this"
 Here the Senator cupped hands to mouth and let out a long, mournful below resembling the plaint of a giraffe with arthritis of the neck.
 That" said he proudly, "is the MO0Se call. And when SOme-