The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-11

CTS. So it was up to Secretary of Commerce Jesse Jones to select an American company and ad- vance it about $6,O00,00O of REC money to build a smelter on this side of the Atlantic.
 Three months have now passed, and this has not yet been done. Jesse Jones can't make up his mind where the smelter shall be located.
 Meanwhile the Bolivian Govern Inent has been dumping tin ore at South American ports along the Pacific awaiting shipment to the United States-waiting for Jesse Jones to decide whether the smelter will be on the East Coast, the West Coast or the Gulf of Mexico. (Some urge that the smelter be at Houston, center Of the Jones financial empire)
 The ore is being dumped on the ground without shelter, where it deteriorates while nothing happens in Washing ton.
 At first Jesse Jones favored a Hollander named Van den Brooke to set up the smelter, though his proposition was branded "exorbi- tant" by the State Department.
 Then Jesse leaned toward the Hooker Chemical Company, which proposed an electrolytic process of smelling. Next it was expected that Phelps Dodge and American Smelling and Refining would get the contract. But now the fickle Secretary of Commerce is flirting with Van den Brooke again.
 The State Department has thrown up it's hands and refused to participate in further discus Sions.
 Unless Jesse himself is will ing to live with this problem" remarked one State Department official, there is nobody in the REC who has sufficient up here to solve it." And he pointed to his cranium.
 Jesse may have sufficient up here" but in filling the twin roles of Federal Loan Administrator and Secretary of Commerce he has entirely too much to do. Three months delay in smelling tin might mean everything to American industry-if Japan in- vades the Dutch East Indies.
 NOTE-Tomorrow The Merry Go-Round will reveal U. s. at tempts, if any, to protect our rub- Der supply in case the Dutch East Indies are taken.
 SPEEDY SPEAKERS
 There are five men ill the House of Representatives who, when they rise to speak, make the of- ficial reporters of debate shift into high gear. Out of 435 members, the following have reputation for exceeding the oral speed linn it's:
 Reid F. Murray, of Wisconsin; John M. Coffee, of Washington; Francis Case, of South Dakota; Luther Patrick, of Alabama; Jerry VOOrhis, of California.
 They all speak at a rate of 190 to 200 words a minute. and Some- times faster. The usual speed of office dictation is from 120 to 135 words a minute
 When a member of Congress speaks at 200 words a minute, it keeps us hopping" according to Reporter Roy L. Whitman. But every one of the staff of six cov- ering House debates can take shorthand even at that speed and they do it from standing position, holding a little bottle of ink in the crook of one thumb. WAR CONFERENCE
 A press conference with kindly, venerable Secretary of War Stim- son is an Event, with @ capital "E." Reporters must have a badge to get into the building. and their names are checked as they enter the conference room.
 The Assistant Secretary is there, and no less than eight Army oiii. cers charged with handling press relations. At q long table in the front Of the room sit two stenog- raphers.
 The Secretary oi War opens the conference by reading from news releases, then free.for-all aus. tons arc in order. T'he stenog- raphers take down every word,