The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-06-28

puC tney QldnC discuss Cae
According to the story, All
propositioned the Montana Demo-
crat about taking q place on the
Republican ticket; and John l..
Lewis, Wheeler booster, was said
TO be In on the pow-wow.
Nothing like that occurred, and
Lewis had nothing to do with II.
Sunday afternoon, during q
jaunt on the yacht OF a newspaper
publisher. Landon told about the
hot conflict raging between iso-
lationists and the pro-Ally bloc In
his subcommittee on the contro-
versial foreign affairs plank. He
expressed the personal opinion
that the plank should lean defin-
itely toward isolation.
Then someone recalled that Sen.
Wheeler he'd Just threatened TO
bolt the Democratic party II II
took q warlike stand, and suggest
ed that 1t might be fruitful 10 get
his opinion on what the COP
plank should contain.
Landon thought this an excel
lent idea, and on the way back
TO Philadelphia telephoned
Wheeler In Washington. They
had o general talk about o
foreign affairs plank, but moth
Ing was said about the POSSIBLE
ity Of the Montanan jumping
the traces 10 the Republicans.
The whole purpose of the talk
was % little missionary work In
the hope Of producing results
later.
NOTE-Those questions Landon
asked John l.. Lewis before the
resolutions committee, opening the
way for him to blast Roosevelt,
were arranged In advance. Lam
don had sent them TO the CIO
leader two days before with q note
asking II he would care 10 answer
them. Lewis reply was an em-
phatic "Yes".
WILLKIE AND J. J. LEWIS
Some time ago Wendell Willkie
and John l.. Lewis had q secret
dinner together In New York, and
strange as II seems, found them
selves In agreement on almost
everything. The chief point they
disagreed on was Franklin Roose-
welt, Lewis damnifg him 80 BIT
terly that Willkie finally came
10 his defense.
At first the two men sat
around each defending his own
interests. Lewis attacked the
Morgans for running the utiii-
ties. WlIIkle told how he had
had J. r. Morgan partners ON
his board Of directors for years
and never heard o peep from
them.
Lewis rejoined with a story Of
how when he was settling anthra-
cite coal strikes, he would negoti-
ate for weeks until he thought the
thing was all settled, and then
the coal operators always would
have TO consult Jackson Reynolds
OF the First National Bank OF New
York.
"gure," shot back WiIlkie, "but
that was anthracite, q dead In
dustry."
Later, Wiilkie and Lewis warmed
up TO each other and began TO dis.
cuss means OF reducing uilen.
ployment through cooperation be.
tween government and industry.
Wilikie even agreed on a rather
radical program Of government
loans TO small business such as I'M
der the Mead bill.
MORGANS DELIGHTED
However, on the subject Of
Roosevelt, John l.. Lewis got 10
vituperatlye that Willkic finally
defended the Presidents record,
saying 1t was not aS black as
Lewis painted II.
After dinner, Lewis took aside
Morris Ernst, the host, and said
that the ideas for economic I'm.
provement they had discussed
should not be wasted. Willkic,
overhearing him, proposed that
they get together 10 see II they
could work out an economic pro-
gram which would get the cooper
alton OF both labor and capital.
To this end, Morris Ernst later
went TO see Russell Leffingwell,
O J. r. Morgan partner, ana re-
lated what had happened. Lef-
fingwclI was enthusiastic over more
labor-business cooperation.
"This q q golden opportunity"
he said. "Thls II something
Roosevelt can't DO, because peo-
pie are Too sore at him. And.
the Republicans can't DO II, be-
cause they aren't going -, .