The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-20

thing this is congressional elec- ton year.
 Congressmen are as jittery as steers stampeding in a storm. Let the wind change and they'll take of on a tangent in any or every di- rection. And this midsummer n1ad- ness won't be over till the votes are harvested in November and the boys know whether they'll be coming back to Washington or whether 1 they'll have to register with the United States Employment Service.
 There are those who still believe this public forum or against 'em on gas. and rubber and price fixing and taxes and soldiers pay is all to the good. The theory is that this discus sion Is the open-faced, cards -on-the table, nothing g-up-the-sleeve meth cd of arriving at conclusions and the ultimate truth.
 BLOODY
 BATTLE GROUNDS
 Under this theory, nothing that Congress ever opposed was worth saving, everything that Congress ever approved was okay. That ap- plies to the x card and the pen- sions-f for -congressmen issues, too, on the basis that Congress had to be for these things to bring out the fact that the country was against them, and so cause their defeat.
 If this theory of government is true, then every issue must be battle ground, fought over till both sides reel punchdrunk and bloody from the field, but with right defi- nitely triumphant, no matter which side wins.
 This solution of state questions is disconcerting enough to some folks in peace times, but defi- nitely disruptiye in time of war, when the nation should all be united in 8 great big happy fam fly, settling their problems in calm, cool and collected manner bespeaking greater efficiency than even a totalitarian ideologist could dream up for the post -Utopian Hea- ven of a super-race. The congress sional confusion as of today is there fore bemoaned by hard-boiled gen. erals and administrators who point skinny fingers of scorn at the bick- erings of the solons who are thus marked as primarily responsible for showing up the war effort.
 CONFUSED
 CONGRESS s...s..
 The criticism has made the con- gressmen all the more schoolgirl ishly sensitive and nervous, and this upsetting influence plus the psy- chological handicap of the election year jitters, have made this war; time, 77th Congress seem more in- efficient than most. The representa- tives in particular stand confused, afraid to go home for fear they'll be looked upon as shirking their war duties in Washington, afraid not to go home for fear they'll not under stand how their constituents feel.
 The question arises as to whether all this concern is justi- ged. Four months from now, on election day, will 1t make any dif- ference how congressman voted on x cards or congressional pen- sions or any of the other issues now so much in the public eye?
 If the war news in late Octo- Der Is good, the congressman can all wave flag, say, Look what we did!" and be swept triumphant ly back into Washington for an- other two years.
 On the other hand, if New York has been token bombed, the Aleu- tians occupied, Midway lost and the second front sent reeling back on it's heels then politicians in office might. as well look for a cy- clone cellar or 8 nice soft job in 8 powder mill. How they voted in June and July won't make any difference.