The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-12

sidered mere pork barrel ventures. But now Senators argue that fin- ally the time has come when they can be put to vital use.
 NO DIESEL ENGINES
 The first snSg, no" Yer, was the lack of steel to build barges. Then it was proposed to build wooden bargeS, which can carry heavy oil without much leakage. So the plan for 500 wooden barges was worked out and submitted to the WIPE in July = but another ob- stacle developed.
 This was Diesel engines. There
 were not enough for the Army's
 or Nays landing boats, let alone
 for civilian use.
 At this point Florida auto deal- CTS proposed towering the barges with large outboard motors al- ready manufactured. ChrySler said it had the motors available and Senator Pepper put 1t up to the ODT, the OPC and Inland Waterways, but they wouldn't even send representatives to De- troit for a test.
 However, Col. Harry B. Vaughn, , District Army Engineer in Phila- delphia, had seen the motors test ed and recommended them. But weeks dragged by and nothing happened. One excuse was that the outboard motors, when placed on barges, were not protected from the weather, and that the crew also lacked protection.
 Finally, however, three motors
 are being placed on a wooden ~ barge, with a small house built
 over them, and it is barely pos
 sible that with prayers and Con-
 gressionaI push few of these
 barges may begin carrying oil
 through the coastal watersways
 sometime this winter.
 LET THE NAZIS KNOW
 Many an Army official is over-cautious about speaking for publication these days, but not It. Gen. Hap" Arnold. comman- der of the Army Air Forces.
 Disclosing that U. s. flyers are being turned out of pre-fli9ht schools at the rate of 40,000 a year, Arnold was asked If the fig ures could be quoted.
 "Why not?" he chuckled. "It
 won't do any harm. Might do
 a lot of good. It'll show the Ger
 mans how many we've gOt!" CAPITAL CHAFF
 Best diplomatic post for Demo. cratic National Chairman Ed Flynn would be Minister to Ire- land, replacing Mrs. Roosevelt's relative. Ed is Irish, would carry great prestige in Dublin, and we need a big shot diplomat in Ire- land to win over the Irish, none too pleased at having U. s. troops in Belfast Instead of 1re- land, there is talk of sending Ed Flynn to New Zealand .. Civ ilian members of the French Em- bassy in Washington wish they were interned with the French ambassador in the swanky hotel at Hershey, Penn. Only the alrl- bassador and his military staff were interned leaving other French diplomats, most of them sympathetic to the U. s. A., on their own. Their salaries, how ever, have been cut off and they are nearing the bottom of the barrel Despite frowns from Vice President Wallace, Under secretary of State Welles and Milo Perkins that Major Tom Arm strong of Standard Oil was per- soma non grata with Latin Ameri- cans, WIPES Fiber" Eberstadt has promoted him. He is now Eber's executive assistant.
 JEFFERSON MEMORIAL
 The new statue of Thomas Jeff ferson for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington is so big that 1t will be put together, piece by piece. Then next spring the statue of the great Democrat-19 feet high-will be stretched out on 8 couple of big trucks and rolled into the new marble me- morial among the cherry trees along the Tidal Basin.
 Jefferson" is being construct