The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-03-04
NOTES OF AN INNOCENT
 RYSTANDER

bxSTANDEk
 By tho Montreal Gaxette's Wash ington Correspondent, March 2: :Do you remember Preston Sturges' de- liciously ironic item Of Hollywood fiction called The Great McGlnty'? It was one of last years better films and 1t told an iconoclastic story of a strongar1n guy who wardheeled his way to the governorship of his state. McGinty's first act as governor was to perform a noble anl completely unselfish service for tile first time in his life--and the public fell upon him viciously and ruined his career.
 "A distant but pertinent parallel may be drawn in the current Wash ington excitement over the status of Lt.-Comdr. Walter Winchell, U. s. N. R. The case of the columnist- commentator was the subject of a Congressional inquiry the other day when the House Naval Affairs Com- mittee demanded of Secretary Knox why Wlnchell should be permitted to write and broadcast at will. An unidentified committee man (Edi- tors Note: It has since been learned that 1t was Republican Congressman Clare Hoffman of Michigan) sug- gested that Winchell be sent to Samoa or be forced to resign. And isolationist politicians and newspa- pers have risen up in holy fury against the fabulous journalist. He is being sniped at, attacked and maligned as a result of having vol- unteered to do his bit in the war effort.
 "The irony of 1t is indeed bitter. During all of his adult life Winchell has been an excessively ambitious man. He has worked desperately hardin behalf of Winchell. If great personal ambition may be said to have a content of selfishness, then Winchell's career has been selfish in the democratic American sense. And he has reached his goal; he Is one of the fabulous figures in all the history of American journalism.
 "So what happens? At the zenith of his career, well over the draft age, and with his multifarious acc tivities driving him along at a maddening pace, he picks up the threads of Navy career that start ed as an apprentice seaman in the last war and he begs the Navy to put him to work without pay. He has nothing to gain but an earlier grave and the satisfaction of hay ing helped beat his country's ene- mics. It is a completely unselfish gesture and the Navy quickly ac- cepts.
 go this happens! People both prominent and notorious suddenly rise up on all sides and try to beat his brains out.
 We don't know what the moral of the story is, but 1t hasn't the saving grace of being funny-like The Great McGinty.' It is a pretty tragic commentary on the contem- porary American scene"
 From the Brooklyn Eagles Letters to the Editor Dept: "The attempt by certain members of the House Naval Affairs Committee to choke Walter Wlnchell off the air raises an issue which transcends the in- dividual-Winchell the radio com mentator. It Is rather a snide att tack by those who would throttle the freedom of expression of an American citizen who has followed a philosophy of government pro claimed by Roosevelt and Churchlll and concurred in by millions of free men throughout the world.
 At a time when Wheeler, Nye, Llndbergh and Fish were chorusing that Roosevelt and Willle were war1nongers, the American public, through Winchell was exposing the Fifth Column within. Why shopdd this vast segment of the American public be denied a voice on the airy Are these millions to be silenced be- cause Winchell vocalized their re- fusal to curtsy before the pagan altars of Benito, Hirohito and Adolf? Are loyal citizens to be muzzled be- cause the darts of one of their spokesmen wounded those who would welcome negotiated peace2 Are we to have American Lord Haw-Haws on the air--or can we continue to enjoy commentators like Winchell--who speak for MT. and Mrs. American Citizen. who refuse to sell America short at any time-for any price-to any foreign government?-H L. Cowin."
 From PM, March 3: "The attempt in Congress to silence Walter Win chell follows the Fascist line-gag muzzle, destroy all opposition.
 Tn Italy, Mussolini did 1t with castor oil. Tn Germany, Hitler did it with the neadsman, the concen- tration camp and worse. The as- sa,,lt ny1 yWirnlall is gifnDlv A refine-