Southern Oregon Miner, Thursday, March 21, 1946
SEIQflCE
BUREAU
R & p & it& i,
in WASHINGTON
By W olter Shead
I
*
W N U Corrmpoedma
WNU
\
W t lh ie t lo a B u r ,tu .
Iti» E r , St N W
I
Powerful Lobby Fighting
Missouri Valley Project
XTtGOROUS freshman Congress-
’ man Charles Raymon Savage of
the state of Washington's third dis*
trict, former official of both CIO
and AFL unions, former grange
master and 4-H club leader, and
himself a construction engineer,
touched the match which may set
off a congressional investigation into
the lobbying activities of power and
other interests seeking to defeat the
regional authority measures for
public control of the Missouri,
Columbia and other river basins.
The young Washington congress
man minced no words when he
called upon the congress to insti
tute an investigation "of the ex
penditures and of the corrupt prac
tices’* of the organizations lobbying
against passage of these measures
seeking to harness the rivers under
congressional grants of regional au
thorities.
Last fall this writer told you of
the formation of one of the most
powerful lobbies in Washington’s
legislative history to defeat the Mur
ray Missouri Valley authority bill
and companion bills, which include
the Columbia River Valley authority
measure.
New the lobby has been dragged
onto the floor of congress and un
cloaked for all to see as “ the
largest lobby of its kind in all pow
er history . . . spending hundreds
of thousands of dollars a year In
fluencing legislation. . . . ”
Congressman Savage declares the
lobby consists of a "small group of
men, led by a former Insull com
pany official, spearheading the or
ganization, financing the operation
of these three high-sounding organ
izations: the Reclamation associa
tion, the National Association of
Electric companies, and the natural
resources committee of the U. S.
chamber of commerce.
w1
NEW NAVY COACH . . . Capt.
Thomas James Hamilton, USN,
Columbus, Ohio, who had been ap
pointed head football coach at the
U. S. navy aeademy. He will be
aided by Edgar E. “ Rip” M iller,
who will serve as assistant coach.
B ED CROSS POSTER COMES TO L IF E . . . Pfc. Campbell Gordon
Pyle, Lancaster, Calif., the wheel chair patient in the Red Cross 1946
poster, and Peggy Neel, Red Cross hospital worker, examine the
winning poster, a photograph made of them at New Caledonia during
the war. Peggy Neel is resting at her home in Searcy, Ark., and
Private Pyle has re-enlisted in the army.
MAY SUCCEED M A N N E R H E IM
. . . Premier Dr. Julio K. Paasl-
kiwi, who is slated to succeed
Field Marshal Carl Gustav Man
nerheim as president of Finland,
who recently resigned due to fall
ing health. Mannerheim is 78 and
served as wartime commander of
all Finnish armed forces. He has
been expected to resign for some
time.
O u t to R o o k P eo p le
“They are tied together as tight
ly as peas in a pod in their plan
to rook the American people,” Con
gressman Savage said.
He charged these organizations
are seeking to prevent the construc
tion of power dams by government
in' the nation’s rivers. Failing in
that, they are seeking to buy the
power at the bus bar “to repeat
their Muscle Shoals steal by pay
ing the government a fifth of a
cent a kilowatt and force the peo
ple to pay 10 cents . . . 50 times as
much as it cost them.”
The gentleman from Washington
state charged that the lobbies have
entered into "a definite conspiracy
to break the Holding Company act";
that they are seeking to cripple the
Rural Electric administration, to
discredit TV A, to block the Colum
bia River Valley authority bill and
to thwart other public power pro
grams.
He declared that the lobby was
headed by Purcell L. Smith and
Kinsey W. Robinson. Smith, ne
said, is former treasurer of Illinois
Power & Light, jointly owned by
the late Sam Insull and North
American company. Also he was a
former president of the Insull hold
ing company, the Mid-West corpora
tion, and then an officer of the
Commonwealth Edison company of
Chicago.
“ He (Smith) is now receiving $65,-
000 a year for his lobbying efforts,”
M r. Savage said. M r. Robinson, the
congressman charged, is leader of
the resource committee of the U. S.
chamber of commerce and presi
dent of Washington Water Power
company and “ has been lobbying
against Columbia river legislation
since 1937.”
He charged that the lobby through
referendum 81 of the U. S. C. of C.,
attempted to get support for legis
lation placing Columbia river pow
er into their hands at the bus bar
in the recent Rivers and Harbors
bill, but failed.
G if t to S lic k P ro m o ter»
" It that provision had gone Into
the bill, we would have deeded over
all of our great streams, lock, stock
and barrel, to a group of slick east-
en and midwestern promoters,”
Savage said.
He charged that 95 power com
panies were supporting the Wash
ington office of the Reclamation as
sociation, “a lobby much larger
than the lobby which was created
to defeat the Walsh resolution cov
ering an investigation Into power
trust financing and propaganda In
1926.”
He cited evidence intending to
show that the efforts of the lobby
had postponed indefinitely further
hearings on the Missouri valley
authority bill and the same attempt
was being made before the house
rivers and harbors committee on
the Columbia river authority bill.
Referring to the activities of Pur
cell Smith, Savage said: “This for
m er Insull associate recently stated
that 95 power companies are sup
porting his office here in Washing
ton. We will find their handiwork
in every bureau and department
and in much of our legislation,”
C HURCHILL TALKS W H ILE TRUM AN LISTENS . . . Former British
prime minister, Winston Churchill, told the .audience at Westminster
college, Fulton, Mo., that the United States and the British empire
should form a m ilitary alliance to police the world and to provide a
bulwark against encroachments of Communist ideals and ambitions
from the East. He recommended that the atomic bomb be kept secret.
K EEPS C A ND ID A TE IN ARMY
. . . Lt. Col. Harold G. Hoffman,
former governor of New Jersey,
and again a candidate, received
set-back when army ordered him
into hospital for observation. He
wants to run as a Republican.
RIOTS D U R IN G STRIKES C O N TIN UE . . . Representative of other
strikes, two pickets and a policeman strike the pavement in the action-
packed scene as they clashed in front of the Western Electric com
pany’s Kearney, N. J„ plant. The police seem to have the situation
well in hand. While some strikes have been settled, others have been
announced to start during April. Violence has been reported in various
parts of the country.
AGAIN AND AGAIN . . . This
gentleman since 1894 appears in
Washington on every occasion to
voice his opposition to one and
all measures before congress.
Now he Is against loan to Britain.
He is "General” Jacob 8. Coxcy,
leader of Coxey’s army in 1R94.
He now wants to protest against
the United States loaning any
money to anyone in Burope.
SPR IN G ‘Q U EEN OF BOVINES’ . . . As a feature of the unique
apring celebration held In the canton of Valais, Switzerland, cow fights
are held to determine which one will be supreme and be crowned
the “ queen of bovine queens." Properly organised battle takes place
yearly to mark the beginning of spring in Switzerland.
SHARPSHOOTING CO-ED . . . A
modern Annie Oakley is Eugenia
Griffith,
Yeadon,
Philadelphia
suburb, who as a member of the
girls undefeated rifle team at
Drexel Institute of technology, Is
out to retain an undefeated record.
I'.IHKHVS NOI'K: Thii nau»pui>er,
ihronah »¡racial
m l h ib e
II ii,fimuh>« llorcuo ul II c l e m An««-
paper I nion ul Ihlfi l.ya Slreel, N. It ,
Ihnhinxton. I t C„ U able In bring read
a n this weekly column an problem» «»/
the lelerarl'und »erviceman mid hi« /«un
ify. Q uetlioiu ma» be uddre»»ed Io the
oboce llnreau mnl they will be am uared
in a «iihueqiienl column. No rephet can
be maile direct by mail, bill only in the
column which will appear in l/iu ncu »
¡mper reaulurly.
F a c to r» T h a t D e te rm in e
V e te ra n '» Pen»:on R ate
Closest to the heart of every vet
eran who wears a wound stripe is
adequate medical core. Gen. Omar
Bradley, administrator of veterans'
affairs, shortly after his ai (»oint
ment, picked as his assistant to
have charge of the medicul and sur
gical division of VA, a man who
is no stranger to wounded vets.
He is MnJ. Gen. Paul R. Hawley,
who was chief surgeon of the Euro
pean theater of war, and ns such
had under his direction 2.M.UO0
medical department men, Including
16,(MX) doctors, 4,500 dentists and 16.-
000 nurses. Under his admlnistra
tion more than 1,500.000 patients
were admitted to army hospitals
in the European theater and of this
number 340,000 were battle casual
ties. So General Hawley has had
broad experience in caring for our
fighting men in time of wur and
has been chosen to head up the
medical branch of VA because of
this experience and great success.
Under the expanding hospital pro
gram of VA General Hawley is call
ing upon the best medical and sur
glcal brains of the nation to take
a hand in the great rehabilitation
program of disabled veterans. The
idea to take veterans' hospitals close
to the medical centers of the na
tion reflects one of General Haw
ley’s plans to decentralize and bring
treatment as close to the home
towns of the country as possible.
H ER B ER T HOOVER HESITATED
WASHINGTON - Secretary of
Agriculture Clinton Anderson hod a
hard time at first persuading Her
bert Hoo"*r to come to Washing
ton for the food conference. Ander
son caught the ex-President nt Key
West, Flu., where he wus fishing.
"I've promised my family for sev
en years to take them fishing,”
Hoover told the secretary of agri
culture, “ and now at lust here I
am."
Anderson, however, emphasized
the urgency of the food crisis.
“ We need your experience and ad
vice. Mr. President.” he said. “ You
cun go buck to your fishing imme
diately afterwurd. But this Is a
time when your country needs
you."
Hoover finally consented to come.
BRICKBATS WIN ELECTIONS
Two of the bitterest opponents
on the house floor and in the Inter
state commerce committee are Rep
resentatives Clnrence Brown, con
servative Republican of Blunches-
ter, Ohio, and Vito Marcantonlo,
American Luborite of New York
City Off the floor, however, the two
respect each other's ability and get
along well.
Sitting in the house lobby the
other day they smilingly concluded
an agreement which will probably
never be carried out.
They were talking about campaign
expenses, when Brown proposed:
"Vito, I ’ve got a suggestion. Why
don't we both cut our campaign ex
penses to the bone? Here’s how to
do it:
“ You go Into my district and
make three apeeehes against
me. Call me a reactionary
llooverltr. an Isolationist, an
economic royalist — and any
thing rise you can think of.
That’ll elect me.
“ Then I'll go Into your district
and make three speeches. I'll
call you a Red, a Dago, a new
dealer and an anti-Rankinite.
“ With the proper literature about
you In my district and the proper
literature about me in your district,
both of us ure a cinch for re-elec
tion when we do that.”
Marcantonlo agreed that the Idea
had merit, and they shook hands on
IL
Q u e ttio n » a n d A n t u ie r t
Q. Our boy was takrn Into the
army. We are farming 520 acres
of land, milking 12 to 20 rows by
hand the year round, raising over
350 head of hogs a year. I am
physically unfit to do any farm
work. This work is all up to two
boys 19 and 20, one a 4-F. We
must hire a man to replace the bov
that la gone. He has set aside $30 NAZIS REM AIN IN GERM ANY
A secret report on failure to de-
of his wages to help pay for thia
help. Will the government match Nazify Germany has been made to
this, and If no how do we go about the war department, but is consid
getting It? This boy was really ered so shocking that it probably
will be destroyed It is now in the
needed.—L. U., Gladbrook, Iowa.
A. Your local selective service office of Brig. Gen. Frank A.
board had the responsibility of de Meade.
The report shows complete
ciding whether or not your boy was
failure Io clean out high-rank
needed more on the farm than in
ing Nazis. It also shows a sur
the army. If they had decided he
prising number of so-called Ger
was needed there, he would have
man “ laborers” who have sec
been given an agricultural defer
retaries and stenographers as
ment under the selective service
signed to them.
law. No, there is no provision for
This is one of the latest dodges to
the government to match the $30
per month. If you can prove a hard get around the employment of Nazis
ship case, which is unlikely, the boy by the American army According
could ask for a discharge on that to army rules, no former Nazi can
ground. He would have to initiate be employed in any Jo'« more Im
the case through his commanding portant than that of a "laborer."
officer.
Result is that many Nazis are used
Q. Ia the widow of a World War In important jobs, but listed on the
I ’ eteran entitled to a pension If books as “laborers." That is why
the .?sband*a death la not eonnect- they are assigned secretaries and
I I with ‘•»e war? Do World War I stenographers.
vet«.-ant
-~elve pensions? If a
These ’’common laborers” are
disability allowance was discontin then put In charge of important
ued and ti.9 ease reviewed and r
manufacturing plants. The report
fused again wna* can one do?
now in the hands of the war depart
the wife of a World tv«. Z rz'.___ ment was made by the public safety
entitled to medical care?—Mrs. J and Inspection division of military
H., Tower, Minn.
government. It may never sec the
A. Yes, the widow of a World War ’ight of day.
I veteran is entitled to a pension
although death is not service con HOW WYATT DID IT
nected. Only disabled veterans re
If there were more men like Hous
ceive pensions. In case a disability ing Expediter Wilson Wyatt around.
allowance is discontinued and re President Truman would have eas
v iew *. am. refus 4 'gain, the vet ier sailing. The other day in Chi
eran has the right k, appaal to
cago, Wyatt was guest speaker at
board of the VA. Wives of World a banquet of the National Associ
War I veterans are not entitled to ation of home builders, 3,200 strong,
medical care.
all hostile, all prepared to boo at
Q. I have a lot on a main high the man who proposed revolutionary
way. I ’d like to put up a business building reforms in order to com
but in order to do this I need around plete 3.000,000 homes in two years.
$2,000. Could you send me full In
As Wyatt arose, the atmosphere
structions on how to go about this was charged with hostility. How
matter and just what I must do?— ever. he told stories, explained his
M r. H. F. S„ Selma. Ala.
program, made no antagonistic
A. Go to your bank and ask if statements.
they will make you a G.I. loan on the
“ If you gentlemen are against this
proposition. If they consider it a program, then you don't understand
good risk, they will take care of all it,” Wyatt said "It's my fault for
the details.
not making it clear.”
Q. When and how Is transporta
After 45 minutes, having won over
tion for servicemen’s kin available a considerable part of the audience,
and what are the chances for the
he stopped. Then for 45 minutes
wife of a PFC whose husband is
more he answered questions. Every
stationed In Regensberg, Germany?
Inch of the way he fought for his
—Mrs. C. O. B., Chamberlain, 8. D.
program of low-cost housing for vet
A. The serviceman must initiate erans.
the request with his commanding
Finally, when he finished, ev
officer. It the request is granted
ery builder In the huge dining
you will be notified of all details.
room rose to his feet and
Only wives are eligible.
cheered.
Q. I was discharged from the
army in January, 1944, because NOW W HITE SPAGHETTI
of wounds received when I stepped
Some of the strongest opposition
on a land mine. I had temporary
io the President's “dark bread” or
amnesia and head injuries. Have
der is coming from an unexpected
only a 45-degree extension of my left
quarter — spaghetti manufacturers.
arm.
Otherwise am in perfect
Spaghetti, macaroni and noodles
shape. How do I go about getting
back Into the army?—M. N., Eu are made from semolina, a gritty
flour made, in turn , from durum
gene, Ore.
wheat.
A. The army has lowered its regu
Semolina millers, as well as
lations somewhat upon physical re
quirements and would suggest you spaghetti makers, are up in arms
discuss the question with your local about the "dark bread” order, de
recruiting office, or you may con claring it will drive them out of
business. A number of semolina
tact your draft board.
mills have filed an exception.