The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-10-21

True, it costs them more, but
apparently they are in such des-
perate need of iron that they will
pay for it.
This buying also runs up prices
for the British. For they are the
biggest single customer, outside
the U. S. Government, for all
kinds of metals. And the more
fabricated metal Japan buys, the
more difficult it is for the British.
Whether this loophole can be
blocked remains to be seen. The
man who actually blocked scrap
iron exports to Japan was Ed
StettiniuS, patriotic young De-
tense Commissioner in charge OF
raw materials.
Secretary of the Treasury Nor
genthau had been hammering at
the State Department for weeks.
trying to get the flow of scrap
iron to Japan cut off, and finally
asked Stettinius to make an in
vestigation to see whether scrap
should not be kept at home for
the use of American steel indus
try.
Stettinius did so. But his
chief assistant, william Bait.
raised howl. Bait is head of
the ski Swedish baIl-bearing
company, also a director Of the
Swedish Chamber of Commerce,
the American Bosch Corpora
ton and various other big con-
Germs. He maintained that the
sale of scrap to Japan should be
continued.
Stettinius over-ruled him. But
since Stettinius is head of the
United States Steel Corporation,
he didn't want to appear to be
acting in favor of the steel COM
panies. So it was arranged for
Leon Henderson, New Deal De-
tense Commissioner, to act as
front man.
HAM FISH'S HOUSE
When Representative Ham Fish
was asked whether he rented his
New York mansion to the Nazi
consul general, he emitted a loud
cry of anguish.
'Tf you want to make some
thing of it," he beloved, 'TH
get you. I've got a right to rent
a house to anybody I please"
as it true, Congressman" he
was further asked, shat the
Nazi consul gave you a big boost
. in rent, even though rents in
that area have remained about
stationary"
"None of your business" the
irate Congressman replied, and
proceeded to launch a string OF
vituperatives which would burn
up the printed page.
The Fish mansion is at SIS East
nth street, New York, and ac-
cording to State Department rec
ords, is the home of Johannes
Borchers, consul general of Ger
many, who has lived there five
years.
The house was left to Ham Fish
by his father, whose will was pro-
bated in 1893. New York City
records show no change in owner
ship since that time. Fish is re-
ported to have begun renting the
house to Germans about 1881,
shortly before Hitler. The lease
expired two years later, about the
time Hitler came into power, and
he renewed, repeatedly with an
increased rent. Two years ago,
1898, he is reported to have re-
newed the lease once again, this
time with substantial increase
from the Nazis.
NOTE-Ham Fish is one of the
most violent isolationistS, British
baiters. and opponents Of the draft
on the floor of Congress. He is
the Republican Congressman from
President Roosevelt's own district,
but is opposed by many leading
Republicans.
WALLACE'S AUTOGRAPH
A stamp collector with an adj
miration for Henry Wallace con-
| CSlVCu q AlOfCl Way VI SSUsAA6
Wallace's autograph. He found
that there were post offices in the
United States for each of Wal
lace,s three names except for one
missing letter. So he wrote to
the postmasterS of Henry, Vir-
GINA; Agar, South Dakota; and
wallace, California, asking then
to cancel an enclosed cover.
/. Actually Wallace's middle nam'
Is Agard, not Agar, but there i
no post Office named Agard.
Then he sent the covers to Wal