The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-03-28


 Plans for this are only tenta- tive, but the President expects to cruise along the Mexican coast on a fishing trip, then land in Mex ico, and make the inland trip to Mexico City by motor.
 He has always wanted to visit the capital of Mexico, and in view of the present controversy over the seizure of U. s. oil properties, the trip becomes doubly signifi- cant.
 President Cardenas of Mexico has been a great admirer of Roosevelt's, and many of his policies such as public works, rural resettlement, and espe- pecially the labor board which assessed higher wages on the oil companies (thereby driving them out of MexicO) were mod eled after the New Deal.
 This is one thing which makes 1t hard for the State Department to protest very vigorously regard ing Mexico's seizure of the oil properties.
 Another factor is the fear that If Cardenas should be weakened, a Mexican Franco might chal- lenge him, and the United States would be faced with another Spanish civil war at her own back-door.
 StateSmanship
 Here is the secret of why some speeches are made on the Senate floor:
 Scene l. The crowded hearing room of the Senate Finance Committee with 8 witness loudly expounding his views on the new tax bill. Suddenly Leslie Biffle, dapper Democratic secretary, ap- pears behind Utah's loquacious Senator King and whispers into his ear:
 Senator Byrd is finishing his speech against the reorganiza- tion bill and wants you to take the floor and relieve him."
 "Is it important?" demanded King, loathe to leave his com- fortable chair.
 Well, I don't know, Senator. Senator Byrd is tired and wants someone to occupy the rest of the time this afternoon so the admin istration can't get a vote on the measure"
 Scene 2. King blasting away on the Senate floor on the "danger- ous policies of this regime" to an audience consisting of five col- leagues none paying any atten- tlon) and four pages holding a whispered debate about baseball. NOTE-King's time-consuming harangue cost taxpayers $1lO printing in the Congressional Record.
 Railroad Reform
 Key to present inner council discussions regarding the rail- roads is the same old plan of consolidation, similar in principle to the Prince Plan put before Roosevelt in 1883.
 However, one new feature prob- abily will be added to solve the controversial question of labor. What to do with the men who would lose their jobs through consolidation of rail lines always has been the big issue.
 Now Roosevelt has under con- slderation a plan by which every man whose job was eliminated would continue to draw salary until normally pensioned.
 The oldest workers would be selected, and in ten years it is estimated most of them would reach retirement age. Railroads would have to meet a gradually diminishing burden during this period, but as the burden di- unfinished, divends would 20 LID. NOTE-Railroad experts, work ing on the new rail plan, believe that by efficient consolidation the roads can be made so profitable as to take care of their own large indebtedness.
 Operating between Chicago and St. Louis, for instance, the many lines now competing would work in cooperation, each line running trains at different times, instead of almost simultaneously. Over head services, agencies, etc., would be pooled, with a tremen- dous saving of money.
 Off-The-RecOrd
 As an old hand at the game, High Commissioner Paul McNutt should have known there is no such thing as secret in politics. En route to the Philippines after his visit to Washington, Mo- Mutt stopped off in his home town, Indianapolis, and had an -the-record press conference with local newsmen. Among other things, he told them that he had spent eight hours with the Presi- dent, that they had discussed at length McNutt's presidential as- pirations, and that Roosevelt had evinced marked friendliness to- ward them.
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