The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-11-03

AAS0V 0SAHAS SAetJ VI PANNSAA'
 Under the new reorganization plan, Roosevelt concentrated in. sular affairs under the Interior Department, transferring the Philippines from the War Depart ment to Interior, which already handles Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the Virgin Islands.
 But newly appointed High Com missioner Sayre did not seem to like this. He came down to the Interior Department and de- manded a large area of office space-which he did not get. Also 1t was quite apparent that Ickes when put in charge of the Philip pines, would really run the Philip pines, and Sayre did not like this either.
 So High Commissioner Sayre got together with eX-High Commis- sioner McNutt and drafted a letter for the Presidents signature by which the Philippines virtually were taken out of Ickes' hands. The letter instructed Sayre to re- port direct to the President.
 Then they got Roosevelt to sign the letter, partly by giving the impression that Frank Murphy, also an ex-High Commissioner to the Philippines, had approved 1t.
 Murphy, however, had not. And the other day, after Cabinet meet ing he stopped Ickes, who be- came one of his best friends, and said he had just learned of the letter.
 "I'm absolutely against the idea" he told his Cabinet col. league.
 However, 1t was too late. The Philippines, though nominally un- der Ickes, have been euchered out from under him.
 VANDENBERG's HOME TOWN
 One of the Administration most effective weapons in the House neutrality battle was supplied by the home town of Senator Ar thur Vandenberg, leading defender of the arms embargo.
 It consists of @ full-page adver- tisement in The Grand Rapids Herald, of which Vandenberg once was editor and publisher, vigor- ously calling on Congress to re- peal the arms embargo in order to preserve the peace of the coun- try. The ad was paid for and signed by 76 of the principal busi- nessmen of the city.
 Among the first names on the list was that of John Wood Blodgett, multi-millionaire phil anthroplst and treasurer of the Vandenberg for President club. CAPITAL CHAFF
 Susan B. Anthony, relative of the famous suffragist, is working with other descendants of the American Revolution to investi- gate "The Un-A American Activities of the Dies committee .. Jus tice Department agents are keep ing an eye on the manner in which Ned Rightor, attorney for Mayor Maestri of New Orleans, seems to get advance tips on what is going to happen in the U. s. District Attorneys office in New Orleans.
 AFL WORRY
 Behind that mysterious confer ence between Attorney General Murphy and leaders of the Amer ican Federation of Labor was a great secret AFL fear.
 They had suddenly realized that the Justice Departments attack upon monopoly in the building industry might nullify one of their principal weapons in fighting the CIO = jurisdictional strikes and boycotts.
 The AFL has used these tac- ties with telling effect in vari- ous sections, particularly the Pacific Northwest, where Dave Back, regional teamster boss, forced the lumber industry to a virtual standstill by refusing to handle timber cut or milled by CIO members.
 When Assistant Attorney Gen. eral Thurman Arnold, hard-hit- ting head of the Antitrust Di. vision. launched the building in- dustry cleanup, the AFL gener- alissimos expected it to be Q routine affair aimed at contrac- tors and manufacturers. When Arnold made it known that he also was going after racketeering, they still were undisturbed.
 Tn fact. AFL President Green, long a foe of labor recketeering, privately approved Arnold's nlan.