The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-12-19

VACI11UC1 GO4101O w. 0kIllGIl
 Roosevelt gave Smith a new six-year term last summer over the violent opposition of the A. F. of L., which announced that it would fight his confirmation. The Federation is thumbs down on Smith, alleges that he is proc. I. O. However, his voting record in the NLRB is identical with that of Chairman J. Warren Mad- den. against whom AFL moguls have made no complaint.
 Real reason for their hostility is the fact that Smith is 8 pro- tege of Senator Joe Guffey of Pennsylvania, who is closely allied with John L. Lewis.
 Senate leaders told Roosevelt they have made a secret count of noses and are doubtful whether Smiths re-appointment can be approved. In any event a knock down. d-drag-out battle is cer- tain, and the boys don't relish be- ing placed in the position of fighting the A. F. of L. So they propose this trouble -dodging deal:
 Withdraw Smiths name and
 give him another job, on the
 Coal Commission or some other agency where the A. F. of L. would not object to him. Then
 fill the NLRB vacancy with
 Representative David Lewis,
 who waged the unsuccessful
 purge campaign against Sena-
 tor Willard Tydings in Mary land.
 The leaders point out that neither the A. F. of L. nor the c. I. O. could oppose Lewis, life long laborite; that in fact both endorsed him for senator.
 Inner circle advisers are very cold to this scheme. They tell the President he can't back down, that it would be better to be de- feated than submit meekly to an AFL threat. They also intimate broadly that the congressional leaders are more concerned about their own hides than about de- lending Smith, and that theiA will be plenty o2~ time to appoint Lewis if Smiths confirmation is rejected.
 NOTE-Senator Ed Burke, who told friends after a visit to Eng land last fall that he would not take the expected initiative in seeking amendments to the Wag- ner Act or oppose Smith, has again changed his mind. The NebraSkan has reverted to form and is once more Justify c,amor- ing for the Labor Board axe. Jittery Actors
 Attorney General Homer Cum mings and James V. Bennett, director of the Bureau of Prisons, were nearly scared out of their wits during the making of a news reel at the Department of Jus tice.
 After the movie director had coached Cummings and Bennett in their parts and was ready for the camera, he shouted:
 "Okay, Dillinger-shOOt' em!"
 The two officials jumped and completely forgot their lines as the cameraman, a namesake of the daring criminal who terrorized the nation a few years ago, be- gan grinding.
 The scene had to be retaken, but not before Cummings cau- tioned the director: "If you don't
 mind, please don't say that any
 more. It makes it difficult for us to concentrate on what we're doing"
 Round and Around
 Prize line in the "Gridiron widows" party given by Mrs. Roosevelt for Washington news paperwomen and wives of Grid iron Club members was, Lady Nazi Astor' Of the fourteen regiments of U. s. cavalry, only two have so far been mechanized. . The Securities and Exchange Commission will shortly start ac- tion against nationally known banking institution that will be even more sensational than the proceedings against A. P. and L. M. Gianinni, leading California bankers \. California,s new Senator Sheridan Downey had no trouble finding residence in Washington, but he is keeping it's location secret, he explains, "so ."sO will be able to get away to do the reading in economies I find necessary" Since Jim Far ley's post-election conference with Western Democratic leaders, the White House has received com- plaints from local New Dealers charging that Old Guard Demo- cratS claim Farley promised to put them in control of patronage. Republican TOwndsenditeS
 Republican leaders converging upon Washington are matching a