The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-10-07

Stimson felt that the troops would resent the sight of appar- enty healthy ball stars not in serv- ice uniform; would not realize that each ball player of military age had been exempted from the draft because of some physical in. flrrnity which does not handicap him as a baseball star but appar- ently prevents him from meeting the requirements of the Army such as half an ear gone, toe off, or finger missing.
 This was the second veto of such a project by Stimson, the other having been his refusal to let Joe Louis box Billy Conn for thhe en- tertainmnt of troops. Stimson also thought this would have a bad morale effect.
 Tn both cases, StimSon over- ruled his press chief, Maj. Gen. Alexander Surles, who was irked. Subsequently Surles came to one of StimSon's advisers, said:
 "T've given . lot of thought to .,. the protection of Secretary
 Stlmson and Undersecretary
 Patterson" -..,t."
 Protection from what?" was
 the reply.
 "Trom the baseball people,"
 answered Surles.
 PROHIBITION MOVE
 What looks like an ingenious scheme to increase prohibition areas, while the soldier vote is hanstrung, has been unearthed in New York by Democratic leader Bill Morgan.
 Morgan, remembering how pro- hibition was put across during the last war when soldiers could not vote, is testing 0 Women's Chris tian Temperance Union move in the New York courts. The WCTU has inserted local option law on the ballot in Cortland County, N. Y. Significantly, the proposal was inserted on September a, despite the fact that ballots were mailed to the soldiers on Sept. 20.
 In other words, Che troops will
 not get the ballot with the local
 option law written on 1t, there-
 fore will be unable to vote on 1t.
 Democratic Leader Morgan has appealed the matter before Su- preme Court Judge Coomhs in Cortland County as unconstitu- tional. Morgan contends that if any prohibition measure is to be on the balot here at home, 1t must also be on the ballot voted on by sailors and soldiers.
 It is reported that the WCTU is planning similar moves in other areas.
 GENERAL CLARK CABLES
 Congressman Henry M. Jackson of Everett, Wash, has just re- ceived a cable from Gen. Mark Clark from the Salerno-Na battlefield.
 Rep. Jackson recently enlisted in the army as @ buck private, and just before doing so, sent cables to Gen. Macarthur, Gen. Eisenhower, ana other field com- manderS stating that he would like to see active service and was at their command.
 Gen. Clark cabled from the thick of the bloody Naples battle: wish you could be with me as as soon as possible"
 CAPITAL CHAFF
 Phil Reed, former General Elec- trio chairman who slid gracefully out of the War Production Board in Washington, is slated to take Averell Harrimans' place as lend- lease administrator in England .i. The Army and Navy both have given belated but vigorous assurances to the Truman Com mittee that from now on when the Committee turns up ipeffi- ciency, the armed services will root it out immediately = if the Truman Committee will refrain from a public airing Certain Senators still have their fingers crossed It remains an iin- fortunate fact that WAC recruit ing Is suffering as a result of John ODonnell's contraceptive story. =. Also it is felt in high Army circles that col. Hobby has slight ly-over-organized the WACS.