The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-25
Politics
 sir Passing
By Raymond ]. Fitzpatrick

By Raymond !. Fitzpatrick
 The Republican state organiza- tiou made what may prove to De one of it's greatest blunders this week when 1t decided to make the state defense system Q matter or nartisan politics. There are the usual piotis denials that political cain was being sought, but lets fake a look at the record:
 When the defense fever gripped the country last year, Gov. Ray nond E. Baldwin set up by eX- ecutive order what were in etfect two separate state defense conn mittees. whose work was to be co- Ordinated by a joint executlye committee. The committees were large. unwieIdy and, despite good intentions, accomplished nothing that a single defense adminlstra- tor or a small committee could not have greatly bettered.
 The committees held over mo the administration of Gov. Robert A. Hurley, though the latter coulo change their personnel II ne wished. The governor withheld any action pending the advice ne expected to receive at 8 govern ors' defense conference at Wash ington last weekend, which tact was known by all newspaper read CTS. At Washington, Gov. Hurley was asked by national defense leaders to hold up a while longer before recommending a new oe- fenSe Set-up.
 At his press conference Wed nesday, Gov. Hurley told report CTS that he would await word from the national capital before sending a message on the defense committee to the assembly. Be- yond that, it was almost common knowledge that he favored sin gle, smaller. more flexible com mittee, The Republican leader ship. the same morning, an nounced that it planned to rush through the lower house, which is dominated by rural Republl- cans, a bill setting up permanent ly the state defense committee system which Gov. Baldwin had established. The leaders were un- moved by reports from the press conference and went ahead to pass the bill that afternoon. Next day the Democratic-cOntrolled Senate promptly tabled it.
 So much for the record. The Republicans, it must be empha- sized, had nothing to lose by waiting for the governors recom- mendation, since they knew they could pass their bill in the house any time they pleased. But they had to make a grandstand play (which is just what it was) Ill an effort to win prestige" by pur- porting to have defense as their first concern. The sudden intro duction and passage of the bill to make Gov. Baldwin'S defense set up permanent, which was de- scrihed in a G. O. P. publicity re- leasS as "a surprise was inter preted by many (juStly, we think as an attempt to embarrass the governor.
 The Republican brain trust which decided this move, no doubt after careful consideration of all the angles, must have a low re- gard for the intelligence of the people of the state if they be- lieyed they would be hoodwinked by such transparent political strategy. The 1941 "New Repub- licanism" will probably g. ne way of its predecessor (1939-n yintage) unless the master minds change their tactics.
 Gov. Hurley makes it plain that purely state interests will have to be subordinated to the common American goal of complete na- tional defense, but that also in- tends to gain every possible bene- fit for this state of concentrated defense industries. The first of these benefits is made possible by completion of negotiations with the War Department for estab- lishment of an air base at Wind sor Locks, halfway between Hart ford and Springfield and within a few minutes flying time of Wa terhury and other defense centerS. The state will acquire the 1700- acre site and turn it over to the government under a 25-year lease at $l 8 year. The army, which will clear and develop the site, plans to have its first pursuit squadron housed there by May 1.
 The Republican leadership held mp the airport bill for one day and passed it yesterday only grudging- ly, though denying any attempt at Obstructionism. Passage came after Governor bad declared fatly that he would agree to no further changes in the text of the meas .ure,' that he had gone as far as possible on changes. Faced with this statement, the G. o. P. con- tented itself with speeches to the effect that the changes had been necessary and that they agreed with the purposes of the bill.
 Republican leaders don't like to hear even hints that they have caused any delay in passage of de- fense measures, and tempers are starting to run short at the Capi- tol, as illustrated yesterday when Rep. William Hadden, of Orange, House majority leader, angrily re- fused information to group of reporters, declaring: You fellows have been distorting Republican