The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-03

war materials of every kin
 Secretary Hull took issue with this charge, and at press confer ence suggested to the Merry-Go- Round authors that they study further the legal aspects of the question:" He insisted that as Ger many was importing the arms, she and not the United States was breaking the law.
 A month later, after the matter had become national issue and was being debated by authorities on international law, this column addressed letter to MT. Hull, suggesting that he ask the Attor- ney General for an opinion on the legality of licensing arms ship ments to Germany.
 MT. Hull made no reply. But now-ten months later-cOmes a : complete reversal. The State Department has secretly asked the Attorney General for an opinion.
 In the intervening ten months there have been a number of world shaking crises in Europe --Sudetenland. the swallowing of Czechoslovakia, Memel, and the fall of Loyalist Spain. The State Department has issued two seething attacks against Hitler's rapaciOus policies. But on the all-important question of arms shipments to Nazi Ger many, the Department said and did nothing.
 The Bureau of Munitions Con- trol continued to issue licenses to U. s. manufacturers to export war materials to Germany. Now, with public opinion at high pitch over Nazi aggressions, Secretary Hull has started the ball rolling to end law violation by his department. CAGEY MURPHY
 An old hand at dealing with re-. porters, Attorney General Frank Murphy always waits for them to start shooting questions at his press conferences. But recently the neWsmen decided to wait him out and see what happened.
 After they were all seated, they remained silent, looking steadily at Murphy. He stirred uneasily in his chair and cleared his throat. Not a word was spoken. Finally, some one in the rear remarked, Good morning, MT. Attorney General"
 Murphy grinned genially, re- piled "Goodmorning" and then went back to his watchful wait ig. Another long silence ensued, broken finally by reporter in- quiring, Haven't you question you would like us to ask?"
 Nothing doing," shot back
 Murphy, laughing, mot me. I'm
 not putting my neck in the
 moose that way. If you folks
 have anything on your minds. you do the talking. This is my press conference"
 UNDER THE DOME
 Mystery surrounds lady listed as employed in the office of Rep resentative William P. Lambert son of Kansas. She is Miss Vir- ginia Cox, who is down on the rolls at $2,900 a year, yet never has been seen in Lambertson's of- flee. Last year LambertSon listed a clerk at $2,900 who actually worked in private office down. town. Congressman Graham A. Barden of North Carolina, is a staunch, hard hitting Democrat, while Congressman Bruce Barton of New York is a Republican pos- sibility for president, but accord ing to Barden, we've just got to be friends. We get too many phone calls meant for the other fellow, and know too much about each other not to get along we'll" ... Ed Birmingham, Iowa Dem- ocratic State Chairman, is anxious to land the vacant Commission ship of Fisheries, but his chances of getting the plum are zero. Birmingham doesn't rate high in the inner circle, where his sup port of Senator Guy Gillette in the last years purge campaign is still remembered ... At a party given by the Dominican Legation, a tipsy out-of-town guest called to . genial Ecuadorian Ambassador AL faro. "Hey, boy, bring me glass of beer.s
 THREE VOTES
 Administrationites pr ivately claim they have a three-vote ma jority in the Senate to restore the $50 .000,00 slashed from the WPA bill by the House. The White House lost out in the Senate on the original $s75,00O00 fund by