The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-05-29

1t wasn't announced at the
time, but Weir formally quit at the
recent National Committee meeting
in Chicago. He gave as his ex-
cuse lack of time due to war work,
but insiders say the real reason
was personal dislike for Martin.
It's no party secret that Weir and
GILMAN Joe Pew, Pennsylvania Re-
publican boss, wanted to eliminate
Martin as National Chairman.
If personal dislike was the rea-
son for Weir's resignation, the
feeling was mutual. On his part,
Martin never was fond of the
Pittsburgh steel mogul. However,
in the interest of the party, Mar
tin was willing to work with him,
but If Weir didn't want to play,
that was okay with Martin.
Up to last week, Martin
thought he had found an ace
mOney-raiser in Colby Chester,
62-yeaH old board chairman of
General Foods Corporation. An
admircr of Martin, Chester ten
tativeIy agreed to take the job
after q long talk between them.
But last week he sent his re.
grets, saying that rationing price
control, and loss of key assist
ants forced him to devote all his
time to his giant company. Gen.
eral Foods president Glare Fran
els and advertising manager
Charles Mortimer are dollar-a-
year WPB officials.
However, COP insiders say
there was another factor behind
Chester's declination.
According to them, he put the
matter up to Mrs. Joseph Davies,
wife of Roosevelt's friend, the for
mer U. s. Ambassador to Rus
STA, and to other big company
stockholders. They advised against
taking the Republican post.
DO-AS-DONE-BY DEPT.
Chalk up an Industrial Dis
tinguished Service situation for
Americas vast railroad shops and
the labor employed in them. They
are going to work on ships, NUM-
tions, war equipment--on a 49,
hour week. instead of the 40 hours
they could have had If they had
insisted on 1t. Further, the work.
erS are foregoing overtime pay,
and management all profits, on
war business.
The deal was engineered by the
War Departments Industrlal-La-
Dor Relations Section, with the
full cooperation of the workers
and management.
Railroad shops always have
worked q 48-hour week. Most
other similar industries are geared
to the 4O-hour week. Had the
rail shop unions insisted, they
probably could have got overtime
pay above 40 hours. But they
waived it on the condition that
their action would not be used as
a precedent to batter down labor
standards in other industries. The
War Department readily agreed.
"A few more enlightened
agreements between government
industry and labor such as this
one top Army officials, ."and we
win have the labor baiters in
and out Of Congress on the
ropes"
LINDBERGH'S FRIEND
Very quietly and with no fanfare
Col. Truman Smith, one-tiine
friend of Charles A. Lindbergh,
has come back into the War De-
partment. Although never fully
published at the time, a very
significant story lies behind his
exit.
For some time before the war,
Col. Smith was y. s. military at
tache to Berlin. There he got to
know the. German army better
better than any other U. s. army
officer. This was partly be-
cause some years before he had
befriended several German Off
GERS when they came to Fort Benz
ming TO study U. s. military
methods.
As q result OF Col. Smiths
knowledge, the o. s. Army had an