The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-01-16

Stalemate between the oil com- panies and Cardenas, and between Cardenas and other U. s. agencies can be broken down by a heart to-heart talk between the two Good Neighbor" presidents.
 Such a visit was discussed in- formally between the Mexican ambassador and the State De- partment about the time Colonel Batista came from Cuba to see Roosevelt. State Departments reply was: "The time is not ripe"
 Since then, Cardenas has been sounded out again and favors the visit. He has the highest regard for Roosevelt and thinks the en- tire oil problems might be settled in a personal conference.
 NAZI INFLUENCE
 Things have been drifting dan- gerously in Mexico. The economic situation is so bad that even labor, chief friend of Cardenas, is getting disgruntled. His army chiefs in the northern provinces are deserting him, and revolution is rumored.
 What makes the situation bad for the United States is that American sales have dropped off 60 per cent, largely in favor of Germany. Here are two illustra- tions:
 l. Recently Mexican purchas- ing agent asked the Warrington Pump company to sell $40,000 worth of spare parts for oil re- fining machinery, offering to pay cash. Worthington refused, ex- plained it did $900,000 annual bus mess with Standard and Sinclair (whose properties have been seized by Mexico), that these companies might boycott Warrington if it sold to the Mexican government. So Mexico bought from Germany.
 2. Same Mexican agent also asked General Electric to sell a steam turbine generator for mu- nicipal plant in Vera Cruz. value $750,000. He suggested that the Export-Import Bank discount Mexico's notes. But the Export Import Bank has a stop order against all credits to Mexico. So Germany offered the same tur- bine for 25 per cent less and got the business.
 Those who are urging the
 Mexican-U. s. rapprochement believe it will be fairly easy to stop further disruption of once prosperous trade relations by a Roosevelt Cardenas visit.
 NOTE-Harry Hopkins is anx- ious to promote better U. S.-Mex- ican trade relations, but will not step into the picture until he gets Senate committees completely off his neck.
 'I DID IT"
 Just before he sent the Senate the appointment of Professor Felix Frankfurter to the Supreme Court, the President received a telegram from William Allen White, famous Emporia. Kas., editor, urging that Frankfurter De named to the bench.
 Roosevelt wired back: Dear Bill, I did it."
 KENNEDY BOMBSHELLS
 Fortnight A m b a ss ador Joe Kennedy dropped two bombshells, during his secret testimony be- fore the House and Senate mili- tary affairs committees, that did not leak out. v
 ONE was the disclosure that he instigated the confidential Lind bergh reports on German and Russian air forces.
 SECOND was a grim warning that if Hitler and Mussolini Suc- ceed in crushing Loyalist Spain and making themselves supreme in Europe, they plan to establish naval and air bases in South America to gain domination of that continent.
 Regarding Lindbergh's re- ports, Kennedy told the com mittee that when the flyer said he was planning to visit Russia and Germany, Kennedy suggested that first hand infor- nation about their aerial es- tablishments would be most helpful. Joe did not give any details of Lindbergh's findings, merely stated that the flyers figures confirmed data already in the possession of U. s. and British military intelligence.
 Kennedy painted the threat of