The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-08-29
A. Inside Picture Of Fiaen-
eiol and Political America

Wahington-Politica tip
sters are hosting hurricane
warnings on the five billion
dollar defense appropriation
] bill srhadnlad IN fnllaun fhs
draft bill on the senate
floor. Il may be the rough
est battle yet, and may pro-
duce some really sensation
al disclosures.
Advance clue lies in a mild.
hammered resolution by portl,
David ]. Walsh OF Massachus.
etts. asking certain confidential
statistics from the War and
Navy departments about mill.
tary equipment on hand now
and several months ago. It's
harmless enough on the surface,
but behind II are discrepancies
between army figures Of last
May and those of the present.
coupled with private reports
from the British war front.
One discrepancy il on army
rifle figures. War department
figures OF rifles on hand are
many thousand short Of what
they were earlier In the year.
Meanwhile, some senator's have
private reports from the other
side that arouse suspicion that
the missing rifles may have
landed in the hands OF British
troops. II so IL means a major
senate explosion. with possible
guillotine parties for administra-
tive higher-ups who are respon-
sible.
Whether the rifle report Is
true or not, Walsh does intend
to smoke out the facts on the
army and navy status regarding
fighting planes on hand. Army
Chief of Staff Marshall is re-
ported to have told a senate
committee that his air corps has
only 80 modern combat planes on
the line at present.
Walsh and his fellow insur-
rectionists concede that General
Marshall's figure hinges on what
is the definition of modern
combat planes. II that means
tomorrow's models, 1t may not
be 30 alarming. And IL 1t is due
to the fact that existing air.
craft production facilities are
busy producing orders for the
British, 1t may be understand
able.
But the fact Is that most u. S.
aircraft factories are working on
one s-hour day shift. and are
hardly operating at capacity on
that one. Money has long been
available for heavy aircraft pur-
chases by the army and navy,
but the orders just never have
been placed.
Walsh, with typical fairness,
framed his plans 20 as to give
defense heads a chance to ex-
plain in private, IL they can.
II they cannot. he will break the
entire story on the senate floor.
Democratic leaders in con-
gress have thrown up despairing
hands on the adjournment-by-
Labor day goal. optimists now
say September 10th to 18TH"
but the realists guess the last
week in September, and possibly
the first OF October. II 90. 1t
will be the first time within
very long memory that any SEES
sion has dragged out that close
to presidential election date.
Cause of the delay is a quiet
quarrel INSIDE the house Ways
and Means committee on provi-
sions of the tax bill. The meas
ure was 20 have been reported
to the house floor 10 days ago,
but 1t still Is not ready.
Ultra New Dealers want dras-
tic confiscatory taxes on all
corporation profits, to purge
profiteering.' Rank and file
committee members Of both
parties want reasonable protec-
ton along that line, but say that
war material contractors who
have to enlarge plants inordin-
ately to meet government de-
mands should be allowed To
charge off the cost Of expan-
sion. Otherwise. they say. busi-
ness will not cooperate and can
not be expected to.
New Dealers answer: En-
power the president to take over
industrial plants. II they fail to
comply with government needs.
House leaders figure the tax
bill will require a week for
house passage. the draft will re-
quire another week. which look
ing through rose-colored glasses
spells September 10.
However, the spectre envi-
stoned by the gloomies Is that
the senate has yet to touch the
S billion dollar appropriation bill
for national defense. on which
there may be as much Of a bat
ue-royal as there has been on
conscription. That in itself,
may take ten days or longer.
and taking out the long Labor
day weekend adds up 10 Sept.
TO- right there.
When that "a done. the senate
has to debate the tax bill. which
Is easily worth another ten days,
and figuring inevitable delays
the only answer they can see u
home by late September or the
first o. October.