Evening star., 1942-02-10
BY HELEN LOMBARD.

| Into a washington almost lnureo
to surprises falls the startling sug-
geStion of a titled war refugee. Ar
American woman who left her ra-
! ton card and her Italian husband
behind her for the duration is
trying to persuade her friends in
administration circles that there
should be a most favored enemy
class in the present conflict.
Italians, she declares, are not as
dangerous as the japanese and
should be treated with considera-
| tion The fact that it was the
Italian naval attache, Admiral Al
berto Lais, who supervised the sabo-
| tage of Axis ships in American
harbors is excused by the statement
''he was acting under Hitler's Or
derS."
The little campaign carried on by
this Italianized American is only
one of many that goes on in drawing
rooms Of the Capital. AS Senator
Tydings remarked at dinner party
the other evening: There have
never been so many wheels within
wheels as there are today in Wash
ington."
Social Washington is in a state of
great confusion. Yesterdays friends
are the enemies of today; today's
neutrals may be the enemies Of to-
morrow.
Vichy Embassy Situation.
The Vichy Embassy is the object
of lively discussion and divided
opinion People who will not re-
ceive Ambassador CASTOR Henry
Haye. will invite his counselor. NJ
George Picot, to dinner on the basis
of report that the two men differ
about the extent to which France
should help the Axis.
The confusion in social Washing
ton reflects that of different
branches of the Government. The
Department of Justice and the
State Department are in the diff
cult position of having to preserve
legalistic formulas even in cases
when the Axis is using these very
forms to accomplish its aims.
The Justice Department is turn
ing deaf ear, to alarmed emissarieS
from the West Coast who demand
immediate action against all people
of the Japanese race. Ninety per
cent of the American-born Japanese
enjoy dual nationality. They are
entitled to all the privileges of
American citizenship through the
accident of birth; but they have also
sworn fealty to the hereditary En-
peror of Japan, as is shown in the
registration lists which were seized
in the Jap consulates.
According to suspicious Califor-
mans even the small minority, about
10 per cent, who have not registered,
may be agents who have abstained
in order to have a clear field.
Enemies Make Use of Laws.
Until the thorny japanese prob
lem presented itself, there was little
inclination in Washington even to
consider the fact that enemy agents
might be using American laws as
protective coloration. The Yugoslav
representatives of the government
in-eXile have watched with dismay
a number of Wen-known Yugoslav
fifth columnists and agents who
were allowed to enter America be-
cause the Axis had carefully ar
ranged for the fulfillment of all legal
requirements,
Yugoslav consulates were unable
to obtain visas for loyal Yugoslavs
in spite of the personal guarantee
of officials who represent the Yugo-
slav government, because the immi-
grants in question could not find
the financial guarantors required by
the United States immigration law.
The fifth columnists and agents,
however, had no difficulty. The re-
quired sponsors were produced by
magic and the visas were granted
by the State Department.
There are two men in Washington
who have a healthy respect for the