The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-04-19
Busllwhacking Faces
Roosevelt's Verdict
Failure to Include Congressional Representation in
Postwar Conferences May Mean Argument

Springs, Va, with representatives Of
more than 90 nations present. AS
sistant Secretary Of State Dean G.
Acheson has been invited TO present
the departments explanation,
Acheson's explanation win be that
the Hot Springs conference Is linz
tied to technical matters and Is not
intended to establish general poll
cieS. But congreSsme eSpe-
cially Senators-are jealous Of their
prerogativeS. Even though AcheSon
mollifieS the group before which he
appears today, the issue will not be
determined finally until the peace
treaty delegation Is named, II 1t
fails to include substantial blparti-
san congressional representation,
Mr.. Roosevelt may encounter the
kind Of legislative bushwhacking
that ambushed and destroyed Pres
ident Wilson's League Of Nations
project after World War I.
The administrations preliminary
maneuvers in discussing postwar
problems with Allies and Synpa-
thetic powers seems to be OF to O
bad start. Food conference plans
are under newspaper FIRE because
Mr.. Roosevelt has ordered reporters
barred from the Homestead hotel
and its grounds where the delegates
will be housed and conduct their
negotiations. Reporters will be let
through the guarded gates for the
routine opening and closing ses-
SicnS--before anything has been de-
cided and after all the discussion Is
over.
Roy A. Roberts, president Of the
American Society OF Newspaper
Editors, and 10 members d the
society's board Of directors, charged
In New York last night that the
Presidents ban on free news cover
age might lead the public 10 ques-
ton whether open covenants are
being openly arrived at"
This policy promotes dis
trust Of the government and denies
the right Of every American citizen
to know what his government IS do
ing and to form an opinion about
it." q formal statement asserted,
only as the public Is informed can
democracy survive.
The standing committee Of corre-
Spondents, which represents the
washington Press Corps, protested
last week to Mr.. Roosevelt, Secre-
tary of State Cordell Hull and to
Director Elmer Davis of the Office
Of War Information. The commit
tee said the press-ban was a dam
gerous abridgment Of the freedom
Of the press ard petitioned for its
removal. It Is known that Davis OPP
posed secrecy from the first and
Hull took the first opportunity af-
ter receiving, the petition to disclaim
all responsibility for the secrecy
order.
Complaint came from another
direction over the weekend when the
newspaper PM. published In New
York, revealed that the Non-sectar-
ian Anti-Nazi League had protested
to Hull against choice Of the Home
stead as the conference hotel -
because of Its absolute policy of
refusal to accept guests of the jew
ish religion" Manager George
SloSson, Jr., of the hotel told PM
that the charge was untrue.
There is considerable criticism OF
the. Anglo British refugee confer
ence which begins in Bermuda to-
day. Some newspapers maintaining
washington bureaus objected that
it was a practical impoSsibility for
their representatives to cover the
conference although the State De-
partment made provision for the
United Press and other press asso-
Citations to have representatives
there. Some Jewish organizations
are complaining, too, that they were
unable to send missions to wait upon
the conferees. It appears likely
that the conference was fixed for
Bermuda for the purpose Of pre-
venting minority groups with post
war refugee problems from moving
in on the British and American
delegates.
The food conference, however,
raises the hottest question both re-
garding the press and congressional
representation.