The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-11-04

top down. A lot of people arc
 urging q similar organization for the Democratic Party ma.
 tionally.
 REPUBLICAN SPLITS
 Meanwhile, the Republicans are in slightly better shape--but not much. Titular leader Wendell Willkle is becoming more and more independent. Tom Dewey, who will demand and secure more and more leadership, is complete ly on the outs with Willkie. And Willkie more than reciprocates.
 Chairman Joe Martin has been keeping the party machinery to- gether, but cash donations have been mcager and the job is not easy.
 Mere difficult than anything else, however, has been the prob- lem of setting up an overall Re- publican policy which will satisfy the conflicting views of "isOlation. ist" and "interventionist" leaders. This applies, too, to other mat ters. Tn Kansas, for instance. Ali Landon was all set to make a speech just before the election urging the return of prohibition, and 1t was only last-minute wire pulling by Ais close friends that persuaded him to forget 1t, They argued that a forecast of pro- hibition raised by a one-time leader of the G. o. P. would throw a lot of votes to Democrats.
 Result of all this conflict is the likelihood that even wider schisms will develop inside both Democratic and Republican ranks. So it would surprise no one in the Capital to see nOn- partisan war ticket, vigorously opposed to isolation, favoring some form of international peace machinery after the war. in the field in 1944. Behind that ticket undoubtedly would be Willkie and Roosevelt, both playing on the same team. EX-RUBBER CAR
 The other day Jesse Jones, once the nations number one man on rubber production. stepped meek ly up to the reception desk in the outer office of his successor, Will liam Jeffers.
 T haven't got an appoint ment, but could slip in for a few minutes?" he asked shyly. ''I won't be very long,"
 I'm sure 1t will be all right, Mir. Jones'" smiled the recep- tionist. "Mr. Sidney Weinberg is iT with the boss now, but Mir. Jeffers will be glad to see you PRIORITIES UNTANGLED
 For months, various members of the War Production Board have tried to put across their ideas on how the most tangled question in the whole war pr0gram-priorities should be administered. Popu- lar Bill Bait, vice-chairman of WIPE, once made a long speech on the subject. But priorities have continued to get snarled up as badly as ever.
 Contracts have been let when there was not the remotest chance for the contractor to get steel or copper. only to have him hound the offices of WIPE. wasting his time and the governments try ing to get those materials.
 Finally. last week, Ferdinand Eberstadt. new head of priorities. compliance, etc. had a meeting of WIPE chiefs and explained how ;o handle the problem. He was brief and to the point. He spoke for only fifteen minutes. Illustrating with charts. His main thesis was mot to give & contract unless materials were on hand to execute 1t.
 When he finished. he sat down. For the first time WIPE chiefs un- stood how priorities might be un- tangled.
 Many of thc men present had been against Eberstadt before. resented his intrusion. felt that his appointment was the first step In gradual absorption of WIPE by the Army. However,