The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-09

SNVSee c@e@~ AS @SA se~N - VI
 To prepare the ground for such @ move Secretary Frances Perkins, with Harry Hopkins and Frank Murphy, who are liked, in both camps, have been sounding out the rival leaders. The response so far has been wary but not dis couraging.
 Real inside is that with a few exceptions most of the leaders privately would like to bury the hatchet and make up. This is particularly true of state and To- cal leaders. Both organizations are in serious financial straits, and the rank -and-file is fed up with the costly fighting.
 The problem is how to get the big shots together. They have called one another every printable epithet, so that face-saving is a very important matter. An invi- tation from the President might turn the trick, and Roosevelt has told Miss Perkins he will issue one If she can get assurances in advance from the feudists that they will accept it. ~ UNDER THE DOME N
 When Vice President Jack Gar ner wants to talk ''off the record" he says, "This is strictly official. Rep. J. Thorkelson of Mon- tana is rapidly attaining the un- enviable distinction of being the clown of this years batch of rockies. Tn the five weeks he has been a congressman he has de- livered four long speeches. lectur- |. ing the House on the Constitu- ton, the gold standard and silver. Although the Bankhead brothers came from the same town in Alabama and both profess to be Administration supporters, they went entirely different ways on the relief issue. William, speaker of the House, voted for the Presi- dents $875,O 100000 budget; John. the senator, against it. DIES SECRECY >h
 The President may be against the Dies committee, but here is how he recently rewarded lady who conspired with the Dies com mittee.
 The lady is Mrs. Ellen Wood- ward, once glamorous Mississippi widow, until recently in charge of WPA's art projects--Federal Theater, Federal Writers, Federal Art, Federal Music '2s sf
 In charge of the Federal Wri-
 ters' project under. Mrs. Wood-l' l' ward was Henry Alsberg, one of
 the most conscientious WPA ex-
 ecutives, In one of his jobs,
 putting unemployed newspaper < men to work writing the State
 Guides for WPA, he dealt with ! all types of men, some Com-
 munists, some the opposite,
 some pitiful derelicts of human {. ity. yl ,ase
 In view of this,g Alsberg had to be alert for improper copy. But Mrs. Woodward, apparently not trusting him, took the amazing course of sending a stooge, Mrs. Louise Lazelle. to testify before the Dies committee in executive session against the WPA project which she, herself, was directing.
 Mrs. Lazelle, who had been edit ing copy of the State Guide told the Dies committee that ip her opinion Alsberg had shaped the material for propaganda purposes against business and industry, and against the government itself.
 Alsberg had no knowledge of
 this testimony when the secret
 session was held. Some time later, he was given . chance at rebuttal. But this statement waS
 not printed in the committee re-
 port, whereas Mrs. Laxelle's statement was quoted in full.
 Shortly after this Mrs. Wood- ward, who had not dared make a face-to-face complaint to her own subordinate, was promoted by Roosevelt to. the Social Security Board.
 THE MANTON CASE
 When The New York World Telegram broke the story. three independent Investigations of the activities of Federal, Judge Mar tin T. Manton were going on, one conducted by the newspaper. one by District Attorney Dewey, and one by the Justice Department.
 The confidential file on Man.
 ton in the Justice Department
 for . year back contained all
 the amazing information re-