The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-07
snapped Murray.


 At this juncture the conference was interrupted by hearty laugh from Farm Bureau Ed ONeal, whose genial sense of humor is admired both by his anti-infla- ton foes in the Administration and by his friends in the Con- gressional Farm Bloc,
 "Oh, I wish some of my farmer friends could listen to thiS," chOrtled O'Neal. "JuSt imagine the Labor Department protect ing the farmer against labor. That's one for the book"
 Mrs. Perkins and Phil Murray did not appear to be amused by the farm leaders dig, but Byrns, together with Secretary of Agri- culture Claude Wickard, couldn't conceal their mirth.
 HE DEFEATED RUNTL
 The man who really turned the tide of Congressional debate against the Ruml plan was Okla homa's hard-hitting Congressman Wesley Disney, cousin Of Holly woods Walt Disney.
 Disney used to be prosecuting attorney, has tried over 100 mur- der cases. Using hammer-and- fist prosecution tactics, Disney let loose with a speech which shat tered the opposition. He argued:
 l. Tax forgiveness would be the entering wedge for repudiation of debt. The next step after for giving taxes, Disney warned was to repudiate government bonds, then private debts, then mortgages, next insurance obligations. This argument made an impression.
 ?. Disney gave vivid word picture of Dr. Beardsley Ruml, Macy's department store treasur- CT, and chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, who originated the Ruml plan.
 Those who have seen Ruml in Washington, where he has been working on behalf of tax-forgive- ness, are familiar with his love of colorful dress. When he comes to Washington one of the first things he does is put on his pink corduroy pants, and his Russian orchid jacket.
 But to most of Congress, Ruml was a distant myth. So Con- gressman Disney gave a side splitting description of the frank eccentric, Big Breeze" Ruml. Quot- ing Golfers, Disney said:
 He laughs his big bass laugh at quips about his brilliant plumage and casually mentions the fact that in the country he wears pastels - and orchid cor durOy jacket and dOve-pink cor duroy trousers"
 Imagine" continued Disney, "trying to get farmer to vote for you after you've voted for the tax plan devised by a man like that?"
 NOTE: Ruml, an extremely like able person, was even franEer than Disney reported. Golfers also quoted him as saying: elf you ever hear of me dropping dead on a tennis court, you'll know 1t was because I was crossing t on my way to a Scotch and sOda." WILL HISTORY REPEAT?
 History does not always repeat itself, and our military leaders undoubtedly are smarter in this war. However, the inside his- tory of the First World War shows that in the fall of 1918 they were woefully ignorant as to how long the war would last.
 It will be recalled that on Sept. 26, 1918, Bulgaria surren- dered. On October 6, Turkey pro- posed peace. Meanwhile Austria Hungary had sent out peace feel- CTS, and on September 29, the German Supreme Command asked the Kaiser to propose peace. When this was delayed Hindenburg on October 2 sent an urgent demand which read as follows:
 "The Supreme Command ln" sists on It's demand of Sunday 29th September that a peace offer to our enemies be issued at once."
 Nevertheless, despite all this, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig when asked by the British cabinet for his views on Germany's strength and the prospect of peace reported on October 19 that the war would last into the next year. or 1919.
 Marshal Haig completely failed to evaluate the political factors of Bulgaria's, Austria's and Turkeys surrender. He said:
 "In my opinion the German