The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-04-24
. FLIGHT


Attorney-0enersI Given
Rebuff by House Group
BY RAY TUCKER
ASHIN GToN Frank
Knox's policy of keeping Hitler
IN the dark about his submarine
losses in American waters has
concealed welcome news from
Jftery coastal jewellers. Next In
the blasting of Tokyo. repulse Of
this menace has spanked the
rheeriest smiles on the faces Of
naval officers.
The increasing use If biimpt
has proved one of the most
effective weapons against the
u-boats. These lighter-than-air
ships hover above danger regions
AZ great height. and notify
planes At any Of our numerous
land bases whenever they spot
IN enemy craft. The device has
operated 10 successfully that
many more similar diriTibles
have been ordered. together with
large balloons for protecting
harbors IN the same manner.
Every key plant on the water
front has been surrounded by
strong private guards, who CO.
operate with the army. navy
and air corps. The backing out
Of shore resorts has also made
the foes task more difficult.
Deep holes In the bottom Of the
ocean once utilized by the
s'rsttlesnakes" ~ hideouts have
been checked with the Aid Of
photographic maps, and they
have become death traps IN
stead Of ambuscade areas.
The volume Of panicky letters
received by congressman from
sea board districts has been al
most unbelievable. They bristled
with demands that destroyers
and cruisers now on overseas
convoy duty be assigned TO their
protection. That would have
played into axis hands by weak
ening our supply lines To Britain.
Russia and the Southwestern
Pacific. so the navy slipped
word of its accomplishments to
the members. and they report
that the hometown hysteria has
abated.
Key members of the house ju-
dietary committee deny that
their revised wire tapping bill
represents q rebuff to Attorney
General Biddle. But not In many
years has an A. G.'s request for
authority in the criminal field
received such rough handling on
Capitol Hill And It WAS Aide
J. Edgar. Hoover who outsmart-
ed r. d. RS legal officer.
The measure. ordered reported
out after several behind-the-
doors debates. strips the cabinet
member of all power over the
governments investigating serv-
ices during the war. He had in
sisted that every request for pry-
ing into telephone. telegraphic
and radio conversations be SUBJ
mitted To his office. He ex-
planned that he sought to guard
against . repetition of the
witch hunts conducted by
A. Mitchell Palmer during the
last conflict.
As rewritten. however. the
proposed law lodges the right
TO extend such permission in
Hoover for his agents, and In
the army and navy intelligence
chiefs for their respective
branches. Major consideration
behind this radical readjustment
WAS the need for quick action
against foreign agents. Congress
In in no mood to compromise on
that issue.
The top G-man's dramatic
story Of Biddle's two months
delay IN allowing the Honolulu
agent-in-chsrge to spy on the
Japs before Pearl Harbor Gre
ated q deep and unfavorahle i'm
precision on COMMITTEES members.
Also on the attorney general.
He did not take kindly to his
assistants intervention. The fact
is that ]. Edgar observed all the
proprieties. Under questioning
he said that his boss office
would make an ideal clearing
house under normal eircnm-
stances. Then he related how
the Biddle system had broken
dou,r, IN Hawaii
Americas diplomatic machin-
ery creaks at home and abroad
Although the crack-up explains
why we have lost almost ever,
engagement in this important
realm OF world affairs. the ironis
fact is that no individual appears
wholly blameworthy, and thers
seems to be no immediats
remedy.
Our information from the sxi'
nations has been scant for obvi'
Gus reasons. But even befors
September. 1889. the reporting
was wretched. None Of our look
outs sent warnings of the eco
nonic. military and aerial might
which japan and Germany hsvs
revealed From Tokyo NE
learned that the Chinese war had
bled Nippon white. A few dis.
corning outsiders brought bach