Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-07-15
Job Hunters
In Capital
Defense Preparation
Plans Bring Horde of
Applicants to Wash
ington.
By CHARLES =. STEWART
Central Press COlumniSt

Washington, July l5.-Peacc in
Europe would cause one OF the worst
crashes in Washington in the capitaPS
history.
Defense preparation has resulted in
the creation of lot of new govern
ment Jobs and in the promise OF
many more. The city simply is cram
med with applicants for these bcrthS.
Office seekers evidently regard this
as the greatest pork-barrel OppOr-
lunity in gene"ation-in all time,
in fact. It's as bad as one Of the ma
tional conventions. Hotels haven't
room for Out-Of-tOWn visitors, after
places on the national payroll. Sen
ators', representatives and execu-
tives' ante-roomS are jammed with
them. And not few break into in
ner sanctums, despite all efforts &c
let them in, if at all, only gradually
Consumption. If the Washington
situations any criterion Of the pub
lies willingness to serve its country,
there won't be much occasion for
compulsory methods to fill the ros-
ter. However, this is a little differen'
from what the pro-draGt advocates
are urging. The present contingent
want good iobs-White-collar Jobs
anyway. Their ambitions to sit al
desks and help to direct big policies
not to be ordinary doughbOyS oil
mere industrial cOnScriptS, either.
Profiteers?-In Their Own Way.
Nor are all these job hunters sim
ply Smail-caliber folk, who, maybe
ought to have some allowances made
for EN-, as not amounting to much
anyway.
a goodly percentage arc politi-
clans, or others. of good bit Of
standing.
They're not asking for compara-
lively trifling positions at two or
two-and half thousands per annum.
Their bids are for ten or fift""'' ''''
more thousands apiece annually.
Their bids are for ten or fifteen or
able yet, bu the seekers trt r."r~~
full of more shortly, if the war hangs
on. Moreover, they figure that such
jobs, once legislated into existence,
will last forever, and that the as
pirant who lands one now will hold
it as long as mis- life lasts.
There are congressional Isolation
lists" who argue that these chaps will
be, if they can get away with it, more
truly war prolteers' than those that
they 50 loudly accuse Of r>pfiteerlng
designs-and past practices.
Peace Not So Welcome.
To these birds peace suggestions
aren't so welcome.
They don't admit the contrary.
Nevertheless, they're fluttered
when they read news dispatches 10
the effect that Britain may be on
the verge Of coming to terms with
Hitler and notwithstanding I'M
favorable terms to John Bull, to be
sure, but still peace agreement
Peace, indeed. would be all right
from the standpoint Of our national
defensive job-seekcrS-prOvidcd 1t
doesn't crimp OuT defense program,
which they're SO anxious TO get jobs
under
If it's agreed that Uncle Sam must
60 on defending himself with plenty
Of jobs for themselves), regardless Of
the rest of the world, its 0. k. with
the defenSive-ites. Not otherwise.
A Patched-Up Peace.
l don't say that patched-up peace
now mightn't leave il as necessary as
ever for the United States to proceed
with its big defense schedule-plus
jobs a-plenty for politicians.
Such an idea gives 'em the filters.
The issue may have a deal TO do
with the November election.
Maybe there won't be any patched
up peace. Maybe there VIII be.
There's talk Of it. If there is on there
isn't (supposing one or the other hap
pens between now and November),
there's no knowing how the parties
will straddle on it. one way or the
other
But l do foresee that it's liable to
develop darned contrOversially (and
unprediCtably) next autumn.