The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-04-22


 The Senate Military Affairs Committee sometime ago proposed a policy against rushing through permanent promotions in war time, arguing that temporary pro- motions were sufficient and that permanent promotions could come after the war when the Senate and the public could survey all or an officers record.
 Some Senators still remember the manner in which General Pershing was jumped from the rank of brigadier general after he married the daughter of en- ator Francis E. Warren, then the chairman of the Military Affairs Committee and they recall also the resentment this caused in the Army.
 However, the policy of block ing permanent wartime promo tions is being opposed by the Arny,s efficient lobby on Capltol Hill; and recently, a new move was made to put through promo tions for Generals Patton and Somervell.
 LINKED WITH WAINWRIGHT
 Their names had been before a subcommittee which was adamant against promotion. Patton is now only colonel though holding the temporary rank of lieutenant gen. eral, Somervells rank Is similar.
 So Chairman Bob Reynolds of the Military Affairs Committee put their names before sub-commit- tee including himself, Ebert Thomas of Utah, and Warren Austin of Vermont. Significantly sandwiched in between Patton's and Somerven's names is that O. Genera: Wainwright, now pr!s- oner in Japan, whom every sena- tor is anxious to promote. So 1t will be difficult for the Subconl- mittee to promote one wtthou: the other two.
 Meanwhile, some member of
 the committee are increasingly jrked oyer the manner in which
 Col. David A. Watt. the Army's attache to the Military Affairs
 Committee, buttODhOIes mem
 bers and polls their vote for the promotion of this or that gen.
 eraI. Some senators say priv ately that the Military Affairs
 Committe under Bob eynOlds has virtually abdicated in favOr of the Army.
 NOTE: In the Senate Republi- can caucus some time ago. Sena- tor Chan Gurney of South Da- kota proposed that the RepubI- cans get in right with the Army by favoring more promotions for officers. Some of Gurney'S COP colleagues, however, point out that, WheR. 1t comes to votes, enlisted men count more than officers. CAPITAL CHAFF
 Walter Winchell has adopted a Chinese baby Admiral "I1p" Merrill, new chief of Navy Public Relations, comes from a group of young, hard-hitting naval officers who teamed up together under Admiral Mark Bristol when he was Allied boss of Turkey after the last war. The group includes Admiral Dan Barbee, Admiral Tom Kincaid and Captain Jimmy Ware. Admirals Arthur Hepburn and William Leahy, though older, also served at Constantinople with Bris- tol Go-gettlng US Attorney Alexander Campbell in Northern Indiana has been waging a cam- paign against black marketeerS and has scored some significant indictments. Worst black market was in gasoline, with considerable counterfeiting of coupons .. There was no black market in fuel oil or industrial materials, but some in liquor, wholesale fruit and vegetables. Also 8 lot of used farm machinery was sold for two or three times its ceiling price '. General A. o. Wedemeyer, US aide to Lord Louis Mountbatter, com- plains that he has been sitting in New Delhi with nothing to do but read Sandburg's life of Lin- c0In." Wedemeyer Is one of the top strategists in the US Army, spent six years in Germany, where he knew General Yodel and other Nazi field marshal. But instead of being put in place where he could advise on strategy against Germany, he was sent to India, a country about which he knows little. under the control of our will.
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