The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-02-27

.xACUs -
When Congress adjourned with
out passing the amendments,
Roosevelts' friends feared he
might have even a tougher battle
when Congress came back in
January. However, Congress has
been in session for two months
and little has been heard Of the
amendments, although they can
be called up any time under a
House rule. Odds are the amend
ments will be dropped. III
NUMBER ONE REASON FOR
THE CHANGE OF HEART BY
WAGE-HOUR CRITICS rs COL.
PHILIP FLEMING.
Fleming, dapper littel Army Of
ficer, assumed an appeaser's' role.
after he succeeded Elmer Andrews
as head Of the agency. He REIN
terpreted certain sections Of the
act and quieted many critics,
mainly in the South.
The cautious colonel privately
has instructed his investigators
to. pass up any case when there
is any doubt rs to whether It
comes under the act, and al
though this conservative policy
has riled liberals and labor lead.
ers who demand vigorous en-
forcement, their complaints to
the White House have got mo-
where. s5 9s.a
NOTE-Another important de-,
velopment is the fact that the
weeping amendments, able Con-
gresham Graham Barden Of
North Carolina, has cooled on the
whole idea. He has had numer-
GUS conferences with Colonel
Fleming and is working out ways
and means by which all the
Wage-Hour kinks can be- .ironed
out enthusiastically. = ; z
DEAF MANS TALE
Like his father, famed Thomas
Edison, Charles Edison, hard
working secretary of the Navy, is
slightly deaf. z
Secretly Edison makes some.
thing Of joke Of this infirnity,
and likes to tell stories on him.
self. Best Of these Is regarding a
Roosevelt cabinet meeting. which
was discussing the Arlington RAJ
dio station jutting into the; air not
not far from the new Washing
ton Gravely Point airport, and
which constitutes something Of a
hazard to aviators,1 :f1
The question of $50 acres was
mentioned, which brought an Inn
mediate remonstrance from Sec
rotary Edison, who has charge Of
the Arlington Naval Radio sta
ton. &sa M Z. ~ y.
'sBut, gentlemen" he said, Eve
don't need that much acreage.
What can naval radio station
do with $50 acres? Wed be
accused of wasting the taxpay- /.
ers money. must vigorously
protest against IT," $
Edison says that he continued
TO talk about saving the taxpay-
erS' money, and how the Navy
didn't need $50 acres, and thought
he was making an excellent
speech. Then suddenly he noticed
smiles on the faces of his cabi-
net colleagues.
Finally they let him In on the
fact that. the I conversation had
switched from the Arlington radio
station to the Graveiy Point Air
Point Airport, and that he $50
acres which he so givorously OPP
posed, IN reality was needed for
the airport
GEORGE WASHINGTON
ON Bird TERM f ~. r.s
story within the story Of the
discovery Of George Washington's
surprise letter in defense Of a
third term is that President
Roosevelt knew Of its existence
two years ago. However, he
never mentioned it, though New
Deal intimates who, have come out
fol, q third term would have
. given their eyeteeth for such q
potent weapon.
A photostat Of the letter from
washington to Lafayette was first
sent to Roosevelt on Washingtop's
birthday In 1898 by George l.
Rees, Brooklyn, N. r., historian
and collector Of rare documents.
II wanted to smoke him out.
recalls Rees. Emit Il was no
soap. He only sent me q polite
mote thanking me for the orig
inaI greetings. waited, think
ing some Of his friends might
get hold 81 the letter and pub-
fish It, but nothing happened"
Rees waited two years and then