The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-21

in the flare when they reach the ground. The failure of the dud flare to ignite saved this one.
 But on retrieving it, imagine the soldiers surprise to find on the chute the interesting little stamp: Made in Japan"
 The officers of the field also were surprised, but not those in the Ordnance Bureau of the War Department, which purchased the flares. There they weren't sur prised, although embarrassed at the discovery leaking out.
 One of the firmest tenets of U. s. foreign policy is a strong" attitude toward Japan. As part of this policy, scrap iron and high Octane gasoline were em- bargoed. Yet the Army Air corps is using flares, vital in night bombing, whose parachutes are made in Japan.
 The salvaged flare was one of a lot of 5000 purchased several months ago from an Ohio con- pany. Ordnance officials admit they knew the 'chutes of the flares were imported from Japan, but assert they were forced to use them because at that time no U. s. firm made the articles. Also, they say these particular flares are being used for training pur- poses only.
 That may be true, but the
 statement that no domestic companies made flare para chutes is not. A scent telephone call to the nearby Commerce Department would have supplied the names of several U. s. con- cerns eager for the business.
 Army Ordnance officers say they have stopped the use of Japanese 'chutes in new flares. It would be interesting to see what the next duds, if any, would show. NO BULLS
 There was one occasion during Vice President Henry Wallace's recent triumphal visit to Mexico when he pulled run-out powder. This was when he was invited to witness bull fight staged espe- cialy in his honor.
 Among the Mexican notableS Wallace met was Maxirnino Avila Camacho, influential brother of the new president. Maximino took a big shine to Wallace and invited him to visit the historic state of Puebla, of which he is governor.
 Wallace accepted, but when he heard he was expected to stay in Puebla no less than three days, and that MaximinO was rounding up his best bulls and bull fighters for the occasion, Wallace changed his mind. He had no taste for witnessing a bull fight.
 So Wallace resorted to f1neSSe. He announced that change of plans made it necessary to move up the date of his visit to Maxi mino. Then he made quick run to Puebla, lunched with the gov- ernor, and retreated the same day, before the bulls and bullfighters could be assembled.
 SCURRILOUS
 LITERATURE
 Sensational feature of the forth coming report of the senate cam paign fund Investigating commit tee will be an expose of scurrilous literature disseminated in last years hectic presidential battle. A 500-page "scrapbook" of exhibits has been assembled by Harold Buckles. committee investigator, from all over the country.
 While partisans of both candi- dates reSOrted to this type of lit- erature, more than 80 per cent of Buckles collection is anti Roosevelt. Also. of 466 typical exhibits, one-half are wholly anonymous or only vaguely iden- tified, and one fifth are spon- sored by obvious hy-by-night organizations.
 The committee lists 1855 such groups, of which III were pro- Willkie and g pro-R Roosevelt. Only six of the 135 filed reports of their contributions and expenditures with the Clerk of the House. This
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