The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-05-16

Others are equally strong for Hoover, recalling that, even though defeated by Roosevelt, Hoover rolled up substantial popular vote in 1882 and remains today one of the elder statesmen of the party.
 But whether for or against Hoover, there is no real argu- ment, among those who have watched the wheels go round, about the fact that Hoover has been the handspring of the Dewey campaign.
 Representative Clare Luce of Connecticut got 8 sample of this just before COP leaders met re- gently in Chicago to organize for the Republican convention.
 On the day before the organiza- ton meeteing Cat which Governor Warren of California was selected as the conventions keynote speak er) Mrs. Luce called Hoover on the phone. She told him that several people had suggested that she might be the keynote speaker, and she asked Hoovers advice as to whether she had chance and what she should do about it.
 ''No use even bothering about it." Hoover replied. "Warren will selected tomorrow"
 He was.
 NOTE: Another convention speaker selected at Chicago was Hoover himself, not without the blessing of Dewey. Hoover was put across largely through J. Russell Sprague, National Commit teeman from New York. who acted as Dewey's factotum at Chicago. PROTECTION FOR
 PARATROOPERS
 Thanks largely ot hard-hitting Kilgore of West Virginia, the War Department is now doing it's best to put self-sealing gasoline tanks in paratroop-carrying transport planes, also will supply the planes with a certain amount of armor to protect pilots.
 After this column revealed that not one, but two groups of U. s. paratroopers over Sicily had been shot down by Allied gunners last July, Senator Kilgore wrote let ter to Secretary of War Stimson, pointing out that many of the paratroopers in the planes never had a chance to bail out, for some of the planes burst into flames while still in mid-air, due to the fact that the gasoline tanks ig- nited from anti-aircraft fire. Sen- ator Kilgore pointed out that these paratroop transport planes i'd not have self-sealing gasoline tanks and asked Stimson to rec tify this situation.
 KilgOre has now received as- surances that seIf-sealing tanks will be rushed into use on as many transport planes as pos sibIe.
 There had been a dispute among air officers regarding the use of self-sealing tanks, some of the Brass Hats claiming that they could not be installed in time and that nothing must hold up the inc yasion. Other air officers argued, however, that U. s. airmen in England had been able to install self-sealing tanks in planes in British garages or any place else. that it was a simple matter and that the job should at least be started.
 This latter group, according t0 assurances given to the West Virginia Senator, has nov won out.
 NOTE-General Hap" Arnold head of the Air Forces, always favored self-seaiing tanks and other protection for paratroop transports. but his decision was sidertacked. Arnold also is push ing Army purchases of the quick release type Of parachute harness. the Army having now ordered more than 200 900. General Arn- old himself brought Up the mat ter Of the parachute harness aftef reading q Washington Merry-O0- Round column. "Why," he storm. cd, wasn't ! told about this? Wi, do ! have t0 find about my ON Air C0rna frosn FRFRw pearNon9T