The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-03-14
NoTEs OF A NKWsPArERMAN

We just heard this one about exc Uoy. Lehman of N. Y, who decided that war bonds were not selling too well among tho farmers upstate .. So. Gov. Lehman went himself Co help peddle them After mo- toring ln the wilderness, he encoun- tered Q farmer driving a surrey with no fringe on thet op "Hi," called out the Governor, "did you ever hear of Herbert Lehman of Ale ba1yP"
 aNope," was the indifferent reply. ! ''Ever hear of Franklin Roose- EeltP"
 "Nope," said the farmer.
 "pearl Harbor9" continued Leh- man.
 "Never heard of her either"
 sTEver hear of Churchill2" "Nh-nh, what of it2"
 "Well," said Gov. Lehman, 'IIm here to see you about bonds.
 "Aint interested" said the far- Rner as he drove on.
 Scene 2: The farmers wife, who was watching through a window greeted her husband with: Who was that2 What did he want?"
 'Oh," said the farmer sucking his teeth, some city slicker from AL bany-named Lehman-told me about fellow named Roosevelt who got in trouble with a girl named Pearl Harbor-from some place near Church Hill-wanted me to go his bond"
 Let's agree with Sen. Vandenberg that the Army War College Library erred in circulating among soldiers a couple of mag pieces unflattering to Gen. MacArthur. But let's also in- quire why the Senator from Michi- gan insists those pieces were "smears" You're going to hear that word lot between now and next November. For your under standing smear" will be employed to describing any written piece that doesn't suit the fancy of the guy describing 1t The pieces under discussion are by John McCarten (whose appeared in The Mercury and Walter Mills (whose was pub- nshed in the Virginia Quarterly Re- view). They were candid discussions of Q public figure, a man mentioned for the office of President of the United States Gen1 Macarthur, whose military record is thing of glory, is not known to many of lls It would seem that If his sponsors want him to sit in the White House they'd be glad to have the facts of his life laid before the public =. Presidential candidates can't be strangers to the balloters.
 l McCarten and Mills have credit able records as writers Mills, an editorial writer for the New York Herald Tribune, has aii exceptionally good rep as a commentator on pub lie affairs. His books are among the most important reference works in the public libraries Senator Vandenberg has no right, and cer- tainly no ground, for attacking Mil- lis integrity McCarten isn't so well known to this reporter, ex- cept that the best publications buy and print his output.
 So let's look at Sen. Vandenberg'S beef for what 1t Is -. It's just an excuse to hurl the word smear" around .. Over in the House the same day Cong. Dies was mouthing the same sickening word in reference to "Under Cover" It would be no surprise to lots Of us that the Republicans are hungry because they aren't smart. The public will take a lot, but when 1t gets sick of con- tinuous whine, phrased in the same old tired wordage, boy, boy. 1t gets sick. The feeling might be that if the Republican party can't think Of 6 few new words, 1t certainly can't think of any new ideas for progress sive govt And that, I suppose, ss 0 smear.
 The Love Letter of the Week: From the editorial page of the phoenix. Ariz., Gazette: "No one doubts that intense patriotic fervor i of Walter WinchelL More than any other newspaperman he has focused national attention on the enemies who bore from within. Ills blasts against subversive activities rival the work of Congressional commit tees. He constantly urges us all to support our war effort to the ut- most. He has been particularly bitter against spreading of Axis propaganda.
 'lIe ought to be consistent. Few other radio commentators have as