The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-04-27


 Iceland was under the Danish crown up until the Nazi invasion, and is now counting the friend- ship of the United States. Stef- anSson is an American citizen of Icelandic parentage, and his ac- count of the strategic value of his native island has stirred U. s. officials. The War Department has even engaged him as a special adviser.
 Since the Nazi invasion of Den- mark, State Department officials have been particularly impressed by two points in the Stefansson report. They are:
 l. A German expedition made survey of Iceland whclh pur- ported to be for the innocent pur- pose of stimulating glider fly ing" among Icelanders. But Ice flanders are "now convinced that they had been victims of an es- sentially military survey"
 2. That "Germany probably has a better grasp now of the strategic value of Iceland, both naval and aeronautic, than is possessed even by the Iceland- CTS themselves"
 Stefansson pointed out that Ice land is open the year round for flying purposes; that the average temperature at Reykjavik, the capital, is the same as at Phila- delphia; and that snow seldom remains on the ground, even in January, for more than two or three weeks at a time.
 The punch in his memo is this sentence: "The United States should consider of significance the establishment by foreign power of a new air base within a thOu- sand miles of the continent of North America"
 NOTE - Though the United States, following invasion of Den- mark and Norway, has decided not to disburse xport-Inaport Bank credits to the Scandinavian countries, this does not affect a credit of $1.000,000 to Iceland, which is still available. WENDELL WILLKIE
 Utility tycoon Wendell Willkie has been drumming up a lot of publicity for his presidential boom but getting nowhere with the COP leaders. While in Washington he asked one wise old hand Tor ad- vice.
 "Well, I'll tell yOu," drawled the veteran Republican. As l understand it you're some shakes as business man. Maybe you are, but as a politician you're total bust. If you really were smart you would have run for the Democratic nomina- ton, for two reasons: First, it would have minimized the util- ity curse; and second, because we Republicans won't touch you with a ten-foOt pole"
 NOTE-Born and reared in h. diana, Willkie listed himself as a lifelong Democrat" until the presidential bug hit him. Now he secretly hopes to land as run ming mate on a Dewey or dark horse ticket if there is a dead lock at Philadelphia.
 GUFFEY VS LEWIS
 Senator Joe Guffey scored a double victory in his decisive re- nomination vote. The Pennsyl- vania New Dealer not only de- feated his opponent, Pittsburgh oilman Walter Jones, but also handed thoruogh licking to John L. Lewis.
 This little known fact was one of the most significant features of the election.
 Before the primary, Guffey and the CIO chief were on closes, terms. Guffey sponsored the United Mine Workers bitunlinous coal regulation act, and in 193S unhesitatingly went out on g political limb for Lewis by sup porting his candidate for governor over the bitter protests of most of the other Pennsylvania Demo- cratic leaders.
 If Guffey had ducked that fight he could have avoided persona trouble this year. But when ht went to Lewis for help in tht tough primary battle, John L turned him down cold.
 Only a few insiders know it but the dramatic rebuff took place a few weeks before the eiectior in Lewis paneled. high-ceilinget private office. Guffey explained that he was I'D against a yer,