The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-12-12
|Merry-GO-ROund

wyADMlNaTOM Dec. ia-TheFe wns one import. ans fact unknewn to tle housands of veterans who iiFns Of Housing Administrascr wilson wsaaE
 what these pFOlessanls dld not know-and they included Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander Louis Star, Anyels ccmmandef Ray Sawyer, and American that Che American Legion influenced by the powerful real estate lobby, helped administer the lest death blow to Wyatt and his veterans housing program
 The American feelOns Bkalnl drive against the housing program began last September just before National AssocatIon of Hosne budsFs sent lobbying
 instructions to its members to buttonhole Legion del egetes and do their best to undermine the wyatt housing program.
 "pstsnnine from your local county and state American Legion officers who the delegates are to Talk Co every legionnalre you know to prevent any resolution endorsing wyatts housing program for veteFans"
 However, the mas of lesicnnares as san Fran. cisco rallied o the defense of Wyatt and his housing prOrami 60 sempOfariy the real estate lobby lost.
 But not for long As e compromise hand-plcked committee of legionnaires was appointed to study housing. And last week. National Commander Paul Griffith called on President Truman and spent near. Y an hour cutting the ground out from under Wilson Wyatt the man who has done his best to build homes for veterans.
 Griffith told Truman he was convinced the pres. ent housing eetup should be abolished and placed in the hands Of An emergency board, working in unison with the Federal Housing Administration He argued that the great majority of war vets do not want to buy, and do not have the money Co buy homes In the current high market. Therefore, more
 multiple units for renting should be built cThe atter incidentally was the same recommendation previous y made by wyatt)
 Griffith added that his proposal for abollshIng Wyatts office was based on nationwide survey of veteranS housing conditions by a seven-man board Of Legion World War II vets This survey showed con- clusively, the Legion boss contended, that wyatts program to get roofs over the heads of homeless vets had been dismal failure.
 Commander Griffith, however neglected to point out that the hierarchy of his own organization de- serves large share of the blame for current housing conditions. Had legionnaire Griffith and his cohorts used their influence to expedite passage of the Pat man Bill instead of standing on the sidelines while the measure languished for months in Congress and strike of building material producers against price controls the vets housing program would be Q lot further advanced than 1t is today.
 The man who first urged President Truman to begin mass strip mining of coal to break John L. Lewis was TrumanB old friend and critic, Harold supply enough fuel to keep the country going longer than Lew1ss miners could possible hold out It was when Lewis heard the White House planned to use troops for strip mining that he finally surrendered Exc -Undersecretary of state Sumner wees will soon make his first European tour eince he talked to Hit fer and Mussolini in io40 in effort to get them to call off the war Congratulations to Speaker-tobe Joe Martin for his confidential message to the Re- publican National Committee last week. we have 6