The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-05-03

unloaded.
This represented a super at
tempt TO aid Russia. and although
some ships were tied up for weeks,
it was not the fault of the War
Shipping Administration or the
Army, This was an attempt TO
show good faith to Russia when
she was under terrific Seige, when
the battle Of Stalingrad was in
the balance.
In some cases ships rode at
anchor fifty and sixty days In
the Gulf Of Persia. waiting TO
unload, their crews idle.
Basic reason for this delay Is
that port facilities along the Gulf
Of Persia are backward If not
medieval. There were no modern
docks or cranes and TO unload loo
onotlveS without cranes Is almost
impossible. Also the railroad run
ming north from Basra 10 the
Caucasus Is meandering affair,
never completely finished, orig
inally built TO reach the Shah's
hunting lodge rather than port
facilities on the Caspian.
Very little had been done by the
British to improve this line, until
American engineers got busy.
Even before Pearl Harbor, when
we first started sending aid TO
Russia American railroad men
were rushed 10 Basra. But II was
a tough job. and was still unfin-
ished last fall and summer. At
that time the Nazis were knock
Ing our Murmansk conveys off
Norway into smithereens. so, to
keep faith with Russia ships were
piled into the Gulf Of Persia.
Today the situation, though
still difficult, Is greatly improv-
ed. In fact, hard hitting Lew
Douglas, dynamo Of the War
Shipping Administration, has
popped up unloading facilities In
India, South Africa and other
bad bOttlcnecks where previous
ly u. :. ships had to wait three
and four weeks TO unload.
MRS. HARRY HOPKINS
The scene Is the north grounds
OF the White House Oh spring
afternoon. The big circular tulip
bed Is Just bursting into bloom,
and a little girl on bicycle is
riding on the great curved drive
way.
She comes TO the stone gates on
Pennsylvania Avenue, where the
guards are. "IIas my mother
come home yct?' she asks. The
guards shake their heads.
She disappears, riding 10 an
other part Of the grounds. Pre-
sently she comes back. "IIas my
mother come homer" Still the an
SWer Is, mo"
But the third time she Is not
disappointed. Her mother has
come home.
The little girl is Diana Hop
kins. daughter Of Harry. and
the lady Is not her mother. but
the former Mrs. Louise Macy,
now Mrs. Hopkins, and the step
mother OF Diana.
But members Of the White
House staff are impressed with
the fact that Mrs. Hopkins Is In
truth a real mother TO Diana.
The little girl could hardly love
her own mother more.
NOTE: Mrs. Hopkins leaves the
White House between 8 and 8:15
every morning, returning after s.
She spends the entire day, every
day, at Columbia Hospital, serving
as q nurses aide.
CAPITAL CHAFF
Unnoticed at the time, was the
fact that Just before the Frcs-
dents Mexican trip, Under Sec
rotary OF War Patterson. visiting
FL Paso, accepted a Mexican In
Wtation TO cross the border to
Juarez. He and his party, inclld-
Ing Congressman II. EWln Thom-
ason OF Texas and Senator Burnet
Maybank OF South Carolina, were
received by a Mexican guard of
honor, and heard q Good Neigh
Dor address by the Mayor OF Jua-
rez Under Secretary Patter-
son has two high-powered pub
licity experts--Howard G. Peter
sen, from the N. Y. law firm Of
Cravath, DeGersdorff, Swaine,
and Wood; and Larry McPhail,
ex-PreSident Of the Brooklyn
Dodgers.
WORRIED OVER RAILROADS
Certain Washington officials ac-
quainted with railroad operation
are worried about temporary
brcakdowns OF the transportation
system, and consequent serious de-
lays In moving war materials.
While II rs admitted that the
railroads are doing q grand JOb,"
there Is no overlooking the fact