The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-03-20

convoy war supplies W brlIdli. AZ
cording to all gossip around here,
the situation is likely to come to a
head Within a very few months.
Warplanes destined for Britain are
reported piled up on U. S. docks now
because of lack of shipping space, due
partly to the fact that Britain's fleet |
is spread so thin there are not enough |
destroyers for convoy.
Question which the Administration |
will have to decide is whether it would
be better for us in the long run to
transfer more destroyers to Britain or
to have the ships do the conveying
under our own flag. 1t is tough issue
to face and the Administration doesn't
seem any too anxious to meet 1t
squarely.
Isolationists, during consideration of
amendments to the lease-lend bill In
the Senate, fought hard for one which
would prohibit use of American armed
forces outside this hemisphere. Their
argument was that opposition to such
an amendment meant that the oppo-
nents favored foreign war immedi-
ately.
Of course, it meant no such thing.
The fact is that such a declaration of
policy would have stripped our diplo-
matte efforts to halt aggression in
Europe, and more particularly in the
Far East. of two-thirds of their eff
fectivness. Our fleet at Hawaii, and
the fear that we might use it, un-
doubtedly is the most powerful single
factor which keeps Japan from NOV
ing on the Dutch East Indies.
Removal of that fear by adoption of
some such declaration as the isolation
lists sought might have tipped the
balance and started Japan moving,
and 1t is very doubtful whether we
could have avoided war in that case.
Although sought as peace move, the
net effect of such a declaration prob
ably would have been to increase our
risk Of war.
When a roll call is desired in the
Senate, some Senator calls for the
"AyeS and Nays" and if one-fifth Of
those present second the request, the
roll is called. An amusing sidelight
on Senator Nyes prominent and
lengthy participation in the debate was |
Majority Leader Barkley's comment to |
senator about to leave the floor:
Better not go now, we're going to |
call for the Ayes and Nyes in just |
a minute"
Many members of Congress announce |
in debate that they are voting on this
or that issue as the majority of their
constituents want them to vote. Late
ly, I have been considerably puzzled
as to just how these fellows deter
mine what majority of their consti-
tuents want.
We received thousands of letters on
the lease-lend bill. Many of those who
wrote against it assured me, and I
believe quite sincerely, that at least
80 per cent of the people in their COM
munity felt about it as they did. And
those who wrote in support of the bill
were just as sincerely convinced that
q majority of the people were for the
bill.
Washington is the most mixed up
city I have ever been in. One block
will consist of mansions sand I mean
not just big houses-and a
block or so away will be a row of
rundown shacks that look
as If a good stiff breeze would blow
them over.
The fire department here is sup
posed to be one Of the fastest in the
country. and it needs to be to keep
some of these wooden tenements from
going up in smoke. The New Deals
slum clearance program seems to have
overlooked some of the worst in the
nation right under its nose.
There is some speculation here as
to where that completely false report
that the War Department had asked
for bids on 100000 collins originated.
1t apparently went all over the
country We were asked about it in
many letters and the thing spread so
rapidly that Secretary of War Slim
son took time to deny it fatty in
press conference.
Facts are that the department never
does buy collins in quantities, but only
as needed and then locally, and has
not asked for bids on any quantity,
let alone 100000.
Reports around Washington are that
Associate Justice Felix Frankfurter of
the Supreme Court Is the Richelieu of
the Roosevelt Administration for the
time being. The President has been at
various times repeatedly influenced by
his or that confidential behind-the-
scenes adviser, and currently Justice
Frankfurter's name tops all others,
with Harry Hopkins a close second,
although he is more in the open.
What makes Justice Frankfurter's
activity unusual is that members of
he Supreme Court are supposed to
'e rather clustered from the political
and hattloe CONSTANTLY In