The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-06-11

Suddenly he was approached by @ group of men. Their spokesman said: "Welcome to Witchita Falls, MT. Mayor. We are the reception committee"
 "Not for me-" said the assist ant secretary.
 "Yes, sir," said the spokesman. "And we've got only a few min- utes before the address begins. Wi1l you come along?"
 'No, thanks" said Hlll. "I'm just going to stay here and lls- tent to the speech"
 The men were perplexed. "The time is getting short, Mr.: Mayor"
 "But I'm not the Mayor" said Hill.
 In some embarrassment, the Witchita Falls reception commit tee withdrew a few paces and went into @ huddle. Presently they came back, with smiles on their faces, and said, "Mr. Mayor, we appreciate your little joke, but 1t really Is time to go."
 NATIONAL MORALE
 No announcement has been made about 1t, but the job of en- . ergizing national morale has been turned over to Mayor LaGuardia. Nor has any announcement been made of the bitter cabinet debate as to whether he should be ap. pointed.
 This job is in addition to La- Guardia's duties as Director of Civil Defense, and the inside story goes back to last December, when Roosevelt was urged to counter act subversive Nazl- Communist propaganda. He agreed, but said Lowell Mellett, an "anonymous" White House secretary, was hand- ling 1t.
 Mellett Is one of. the mos gentlemanly and well-intentioned men in official Washington. As @ host or companion on Q golf course, he Is without peer. But not when 1t comes to forceful acc ton.
 Leading writers, playwrights, theater and movie producers and other prominent figures, eager for Q patriotic drive to speed defense, had bombarded Mellett for months with offers of volunteer service and plans and suggestions. But nothing happened.
 THE OLD RUN-AROUND
 Finally Secretary Ickes raised the matter at cabinet meeting and offered to formulate a pro- gram. Roosevelt gave his ap. proval. And Ickes, with char. : acterlstic vigor, swung into action. Whereupon Mellett interpoSed ob- jections.
 For months he had been Q bump on . log, doing nothing. But now he got all hot and bothered about KCkes taking over. Mellctt didn't like 1t, end Q hot undeFcOver wrangle en- sued. Finally Roosevelt halted the argument by turning the whole matter over to Vice Presi. dent Wallace.
 Picking up from Ickes. Wallace worked out Q number of plans, turned them back to Roosevelt, who in turn put them in the hands of La0uardia when the latter be- came Civil Defense Director. This has brought another squawk from Mellett that the morale Job should be entrusted to Q new agency set up for this express purpose.
 But LaGuardia, who made his own terms when he took his Defense post, ls stili in charge of national morale.
 NOTE - Mellett is responsible for the selection of most of the huge crops of so-called press aides cluttering defense agencies. Work ing newgpapermen consider them generally incompetent and use- less in the government service. one way NOT to get any infor- nation is to go to these men, most Nof whom spend their time getting out bales of useless releases. SECRECY or CONvOYs
 Most people don't realize t, but the contents of almost every ship leaving the United States for Eng land Is known to Nazl Germany. However. learning just when the