The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-02-11
Admirals Afraid
OF Key" Scion
New OPA Boss
PIesses Congress
Nezis Material
Loss Is Huge
Fears Help" OF
Mrs. Roosevelt
BY RAY TUCKER

z
of the house appropria-
tions subcommittee handling navy
funds come from Frank B. Knox.
Il was for luncheon in the sec
retarys swanky new dining
room. where the California rep
found himself sur
rounded by so much gold braid
that his eyes blinked.
What have I done to deserve
this honor" queried Harry with
seeming nsivete.
oh" besmed the erstwhile
chicago publisher we Just
wanted to get acquainted That's
all, Mister Congressman Just
wanted to get acquainted.
Well" grinned the veteran
legislator. That's nice of you,
especially since I have been a
member of this committee for al
most six years. We may as well
be frank and start right I don't
90 in for the social stuff. I came
to congress with a clean shirt.
still have it and I'm going home
with it. You folks will get every
penny from me that you can justi-
~ but not a cent more"
That's fair" spoke up
Rear Admiral John s. Me
Cain, chief of the bureau of
aeronautics. But a few mo-
ments later he whispered to
Vice Admiral #. j. Horne,
vice chief OF naval operations,
This boy il going TO be
tough. We're going to have
trouble with him."
A few nights later Admiral
Horne assembled a few friends,
including Californians, at the
Army-Navy club. Even before
cocktails. he asked, do any of
you fellows know this man Shep-
pard ?"
Nobody pleaded guilty, but a
guest inquired, why? What
about him ?"
Well" explained Horne, the
chief had him in for lunch the
other day. And right away he
begins to clip us. I'm afraid that
the young man will get US into
deep water on Capitol Hill"
Prentiss M. Brown has finally
made peace with the COMPRESSION
al delegates who literally threw
predecessor Leon Henderson out
the window. Led by Representa-
tive L. Mendel Rivers of South
Carolina. solons from eight states
Virginia, North Carolina. South
Carolina. Georgia, Florida, Ala
bama, Mississippi and Tennessee
--comered him and obtained
promises which they regard as
satisfactory to themselves and
their constituents.
sc en- ] e m H. said the
Michigan ex-senator in ef-
feet. II know your problems.
was defeated in the last
election because of 0PA
blunders and high handed
ness. / have no more use for
petty bureaucrats than you
have. l will stand for no
gestapO tacticts In enforcing
our rules. We will try to be
understanding.
I'VE will perform our
duties In a democratic way,
proceeding on the theory that
the American people are pa
triotic and willing to cooper
ate. We will try 10 show
them what they should do
and tell them why, instead Of
showing them around and
issuing orders. Give me two
or three weeks TO straighten
out this mess. Then neither
you nor the consumers will
have legitimate kicks"
The price administrator has al
ready kept his pledge TO get rid
OF aides deemed Obnoxious by
the lawmakers He has fired
Oscar L. Straus. former head Of
the Atlantic office. who did not
answer letters from legislators
and stated his force with Repub-
icans. Whitney Learly, District
Of Columbia regulator, has re-
signed because of ill health"
His quitting is significant.
Leon had hoped to make the capt.
tai a guinea pig for the snti-in-
flstion experiment. II Is doubt
full whether any other city SUI
fered such drastic treatment as
Washington. But when congress
sional wives squaWked their nus
bands lesped INTO action.
War department procurement
officers have made rough calcu-
lstions Of the time IL took Hitlers
industrial plant 10 manufacture
the booty captured by the Rus
SLAMS at stalingrsd. The loot in
cluded seven hundred and fortv-
four planes. fifteen hundred ana
seventeen tanks. Seventy-seyer
thousand rifles. three arnored
trains. SIX hundred railroad cars
forty-eight locomotives etc.
Our experts estimate that !,
required a. least six months -
turn out TINS mass Of msteriel.
So measured. the defeat becomes