The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-07-24

Mistake No. 1 is chalked up as Secretary Hull's long and mys- terious procrastination in getting his neutrality bill before the Sem ate after the President sent his message to Congress last Janu- ary. Part of this mystery goes back to Key Pittman, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee - about whom more later.
 Mistake No. 2 is chalked up to the fact that the State Depart ment has won for itself an un- fortunate but profound distrust In the mind of the man in the street. The average John o. Cit- izen has the impression that MT. Hull's young men are more gifted in balancing teacups than deal- ing in modern streamlined di- plomacy and are likely to make suckers of the United States.
 Those few New Dealers who look the facts in the face recog- nize that 1t may be tough job to re-educate the public on this overnight. The State De- partment boys have been play ing ostrich too long.
 Apparently they don't seem to understand that if they try to put over a fast one by lending money to General Franco, the public figures out that they might put over a fast one in regard to neutrality.
 TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE
 Long ago. some of the upper bracket gentlemen in the State Department were advised that if they expected more power from Congress they owed Congress the obligation of showing that they were capable of using that power. In other words that they should do a little house cleaning.
 The State Department Is still limping along with about the( same personnel and the same methods as during the days of Harding and Coolidge. Meanwhile every dictator has put diplomacy on a hard-boiled, cut.throat basis mo longer a game played for the amusement of coupon clipping dilettantes.
 Pure procrastination, mistake No. 1, goes back to the fact that although the State Department is vitally dependent upon Con- gress for approval of its policies, 1t makes almost no effort to CO., operate with or win the favor of Congress.
 FOOLS LUCK
 The War and Navy Depart ments station representatives with congressional committees to &C., quaint them with every army and navy move. But the State Department trusts in fools luck and Key Pittman.
 Roosevelt had planned neu- trality revision as early as last Christmas. But C0rdeIl Hull trusted to Pittman, and the Sem ator from Nevada did absolute up nothing. He did nothing for about two months, then finally held leisurely hearings.
 These dragged out interminably The State Department knew that the cash and carry provisions of the Neutrality Bill expired on May 1, but the career boys did nothing. Secretary Hull was once a mem Der of the Senate. is revered and respected by his ex-colleagues. They listen to him more than some other Cabinet members. But weeks dragged by ard nothing happened.
 Came June with the congress sional session almost over. By this time the State Department. really worried. went to Sol Bloom, whom they despised and whose succession to the chair manship of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Hull once tried to block. Now the hIther- to scorned Mir. Bioom got ac- ton. He took the bill away from Senator Plttman and put the Neutrality Bill up te the House.
 This fact, however. made Pitt man sore. He sat back and pro- crastinated further. Tn the end. his committee smothered Neu- trality by . margin of one vote. The bill was never allowed to get to the Senate.
 The little hand of isolatl0nists hailed this as a tremendous vic.