The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-08-27

would be death-blow to any
candidate for political office, are
still puzzling over the success of
isolationist candidates, such as
Hamilton Fish of New York and
John M. Vorys, of Ohio, in the re-
cent primary elections.
Explanations have been run
ming thick and fast, but there is
no doubt that the anti-New Deal
ers are elated by these victories
and the New Dealers are plainly
worried.
The anti-New Dealers are
pleased because they see these re-
suits as clear evidence that the
voters, in spite of their support of
the war programs, are not going
to vote accordingly to advice
from Washington.
The New Dealers, on the other
hand, are disturbed on two
counts: CD that they may not get
the majority they anticipated in
the coming election, and (2) that
the support of pre-war isolation
lists indicates that lot of people
arS not yet properly aroused about
the war program.
Pre-war isolationism, which
was expected to be one of the
chief battling points in the cleo
ton, is now likely to be side
tracked for the more timely SUBJ
ject of the way present congress
men voted on recent war mea-
Sures.
There is little doubt that there
will be considerable re-shuffling
of seats in congress in November
and the congressman, now on I'M
official recess are busily engaged
in their home districts in check
ing up on local sentiment.
: Congress still continues to hold
sessions in spite of the fact that
the great majority of members
= are away, and the house even vot-
ed on controversial measure re-
Gently with perhaps the smallest
group present which has ever vot-
ed on any measure. The vote was
on bill to give immediate finan-
cial aid to the dependents of men
in the armed services instead of
waiting until November, as pro-
vided by the present law. Only
% of the 430 members of the
house were present and they vot-
ed for it unanimously and sent the
measure to the senate.
A major shake-up in the press
sections of government depart
ments has now been started, fol-
lowing an order by Elmer Davis,
new head of the Office of War
information, that all unnecessary
public relations work should be
discontinued. The first depart
ment to act was the war depart
ment, which has one of the most
unwieldy press set-ups of all.
Following an order by Secretary
of War Stimson, rs per cent Of the
approximately 100 war depart
ment press sections are being
eliminated.
Although the secretary did not
admit it, it is generally believed
that the plan to reorganize the
press secion of the army was
rushed through following the
''hoax" story, officially released
by the army department, about
markers in fields and woods pre-
pared to aid enemy aviators in
reaching war factories. Investi-
cation showed these markers
were found last spring, had been
Investigated and found to have
nothing to do with enemy plans.
Before the truth was discovered
however, pictures and story re-
leased by one of the army officers
was CdITlSu III newspapers
throughout the country. Immedi-
ately the newspapers asked that
action be taken to prevent the re-
lease of anything but truthful and
reliable information by the army.
The newspapers have had a very
difficult time getting news from
the army, which they are willing
to accept as a wartime necessity,
but this fact made them doubly
annoyed when they found that the
first good story released in
some time was a hoax.
Increased pressure for a high
sales tax, as the easiest means of
raising the billions in taxes de-
sired by Secretary Morgenthau,
is being brought on the senate fl
nance committee. A spokesman
for the United States Chamber of
Commerce recommended a 10 per
cent sales tax and he was follow
ed by J. Cheever CoWdin, chair
man of the finance committee OF
the National Association Of Man
ufacturers, who recommended an