The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-10

why the Japs nipped part of the Aleutian Islands.
 Main development, however, was tbe defeat of 1'obruk and the serious Nazi threat to the entire Near East; for if the Near East falls, with its vital supply route opened by American railroad en- gineers from the Gulf of Persia to the Caucasus, then it may be absoluately imperative to open new supply lines to Russia via Alaska and Siberia.
 And, even more important, the entire focus of the war, so far as the United States is concerned, may turn to the Far East; for, if Hitler secures the oil of Iran, Iraq and Mosul, it may be. the wiSest strategy to knock Japan out of the war first-because the Nazis will have the resources to continue for long time.
 MELVIN DOUGLAS
 AT WHITE HOUSE
 At the White House they are telling this joke on Melvyn Doug las, the movie star, who is now a hardworking Civil Defense of- ficial. After he finished his latest picture, "They All Kissed the Bride" he and his wife, the former Helen Gahagan, received an invitation from the President to visit him.
 When they got to the White House the Douglases were as- signed separate rooms. But moi being particularly keen about the separation, they doubled up that night in one big four-poster.
 Next morning, however, Mrs. Douglas chased her husband back to his own room.
 "Muss up your bed," she com manded, "so nobody will sus- pect you slept in here."
 CAPITAL CHAFF
 Transfer of Eskimos and h. dians from the Aluitian Islands is not for fear of 5th columning, but because the natives may be in danger :. State Departments Passport Office, long in the dol- drums, now is booming as a re- suit of many U. s. officers going abroad on special missions Mrs. Roosevelt's close friend, Congresswoman Caroline O'Day of New York, will have Dem- cratic competition his year Miss Martha Palmer, an &C., tive worker among the Young Democrats Silver-t -thatched Representative Cliff Woodrum of Virginia faces a primary fight from Moss A. Plunkett, a mili- tant Virginia liberal.
 STRIKE BREAKERS
 Brig. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, chief of Selective Service is con- cerned over the apparent attempt of some local draft boards to use their powers for labor batting.
 Two current cases in such vide ly separated places as Massachu- setts and Colorado are sympto- matic.
 In Massachusetts large
 manufacturing company with important war orders locked out it's employees. The local draft
 board, whose chairman was an Officisi of the company, inn
 mediately ordered some of the
 highly skilled workers re-cIas- sified for induction.
 The Colorado case is almost the same, except that the local draft board official is personal di- rector of the affected concern.
 Both cases have been appealed to the State Selective Service Boards, but the injustices are still uncorrected. Unless these and similar instances are cleared up to remove any taint of unfair ness, Hershey Is prepared to crack down on the wide powers now enjoyed by local drafb boards. BRAIN TRUST POLITICS
 Puerto Rican Governor Tug wells new high powered publicity agent John Lear has got the governor into trouble--cven more than before and he's been In plenty for some time. Now, it's with the White House.