Editorial: China’s peril
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Ferguson: Fair play in politics
By Mrs. Walter Ferguson
Political campaigns always bring out the worst in us. This year some of the stuff we read doesn’t make sense to me. For example, here’s a gem from the New Republic:
There has been a flood of talk in the press regarding a lack of visible American foreign policy. Some of this talk has come from sources hostile to the Roosevelt administration and can be discounted for that reason. Some of it, however, comes from supporters of the President who are genuinely alarmed over the way things are going.
Maybe, I don’t understand English, but the writer seems to be saying that criticism from anti-New Dealers must be regarded as unwarranted, insincere and irrelevant, while that which issues from the opposite camp is wise and constructive and therefore merits attention.
In plain terms, it means that no one except friends of the administration should be considered worthy to criticize its policies. Other Americans, we suppose, should keep their mouths shut and take what comes.
There is a steady effort to discredit the opinions of those who oppose the present Washington regime.
Harsher words have often been spoken by political rivals in the history of our nation. Mudslinging is an old device for winning campaigns. But never in modern times have so many honest Americans been smeared with charges of treason because of political differences. In the interest of national unity, this ought to stop.
The man who whoops it up for a fourth term does not necessarily want to sell out his country to the Communists. By the same reasoning, the person who disagrees with the administration or even hates Mr. Roosevelt, cannot be justly accused of Fascist leanings. Or do we have no rules for civilized warfare in political campaigns?
Roosevelt and Dewey to go over the top in week’s primaries
Warren is boomed for No. 2 GOP spot
By Lyle C. Wilson, United Press staff writer
Washington –
It looks today as though Governor Earl Warren of California can have the Republican vice-presidential nomination if he wants it, but Republicans statesmen wish they knew whether the Governor means it or is not a candidate.
No one seems to doubt that Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York will accept the Republican presidential nomination if it is offered despite his refusal to make a pre-convention campaign. None of the Democrats – not even those who oppose the administration – seems to doubt that President Roosevelt will accept a fourth term renomination.
Appeal is geographical
But Governor Warren has the politicos guessing. Most of them do not know him but have read about the Warren family. They her that Governor Warren wants to earn a lot of money. They are beginning to be afraid that he intends to do just that by returning to private law practice.
The Governor’s appeal is strictly geographical. He demonstrated that he could carry California for the Republicans after long years of Democratic rule. California casts 22 electoral college votes.
Furthermore, the Republican presidential nominee probably will be from New York and surely will not come from farther west than Ohio. Presto! Governor Warren, from a doubtful state, becomes the ideal vice-presidential running mate for 1944.
Bricker is strong
As delegate sentiment is recorded so far, Governor Dewey may be a first ballot nominee at Chicago. He and Governor John W. Bricker of Ohio are not far apart in actually pledged delegates, though on the basis of various informal commitments Governor Dewey has a claim of one kind or another on close to 500 delegates.
Governor Bricker’s forthright campaign for the nomination is in no way belittled by the fact that he is frequently mentioned as a possible running mate for Governor Dewey.
Governor Dewey’s early ballot nomination would enable him practically to dictate the vice-presidential nomination. That is where Governor Warren’s reluctance may be put to the test. Some persons believe the Dewey supporters eagerly want the Californian on the ticket.
Stassen also supported
Former Governor Harold E. Stassen of Minnesota would have considerable support. He is a lieutenant commander serving in the South Pacific. The Farmer-Laborites and Democrats have merged in Minnesota after years of courtship which began in 1936.
But do not overlook Rep. Everett Dirksen, a smart Illinois Republican, who is campaigning for a place on the ticket, or Eric Johnston, the West Coast industrialist who has just been reelected president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Johnston daily behaves more like a candidate for office. He is regarded as a spokesman for enlightened capitalism. He writes books and he travels like Wendell L. Willkie. Mr. Johnston leaves this week for Moscow to talk with Marshal Joseph Stalin.
If Mr. Johnston’s presence in Russia soon is impressively brought to your attention – do not be surprised.
Delegate majorities are in the offing
By Russell Turner, United Press staff writer
Washington (UP) –
Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York and President Franklin D. Roosevelt were expected to emerge at the end of this week as the opposing candidates for the next four years in the White House as the result of new state conventions and primaries this week in four states.
Though neither “candidate” has said he would run, the President’s improved health and Governor Dewey’s heavy backing by already chosen delegates to the GOP convention are taken as general indications that neither will refuse to be “drafted.”
Mr. Roosevelt is already assured of a fourth term nomination if he decides to run. A United Press survey of primaries and conventions already held shows that he has 662 delegates pledged – many more than the majority needed for selection on the first ballot.
Dewey is also strong
Governor Dewey now has 436 delegates pledged or prepared to support him, which is only 94 short of the 530 needed to win the nomination.
With 208 more GOP delegates to be chosen this week, Governor Dewey is almost certain to win a large block of votes which should give him the nomination – barring an unforeseen convention upset – either on the first or at least the second ballot.
Governor Dewey’s biggest gain this week is expected in California, where a 50-man Republican delegation is scheduled to go to Governor Earl Warren, a Dewey man and himself vice-presidential timber.
Mr. Roosevelt already has an advance pledge of California’s 52 Democratic delegates.
Schedule for the week
The dates and contests this week in each state are as follows:
MAY 15
Oklahoma Democratic State Convention. Delegation of 22 already pledged to Mr. Roosevelt.
MAY 16
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California state and presidential preference primary, with President Roosevelt’s domestic policies the main issues. Seat of Senator Sheridan Downey (D-CA) is at stake, along with 23 House seats.
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Montana Democratic and Republican State Conventions. Eleven Democratic delegates pledged to the President if he runs. Eight Republican delegates will be uninstructed and will be contested by supporters of Governor Dewey and Governor John W. Bicker of Ohio who is actively campaigning against Governor Dewey.
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New Jersey state and presidential preference primary. Republicans will name 34 convention delegates and the Democrats 3, each block probably going to Governor Dewey and Mr. Roosevelt, respectively.
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Delaware Democratic Convention. Expected to be pro-Roosevelt. Delaware GOP convention delegates meet May 20 to determine whom they will back.
MAY 17
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Arkansas Democratic Convention. Twenty delegates already pledged to Mr. Roosevelt.
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South Carolina, first of three Democratic conventions.
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Vermont Republican Convention. Delegation of nine will be traditionally unpledged. Vermont Democrats meet the next day to choose six convention delegates.
MAY 18
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Mississippi Independent Republicans (so-called lily whites) meet to choose convention slate which will be contested by regular Republican organization. The latter does not meet formally until June 7.
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Illinois State GOP Convention meets to choose delegates-at-large to fill out state delegation of 59 at national convention. Delegation originally leaned toward Gen. Douglas MacArthur but now appears to favor Governor Dewey.
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Alabama GOP Convention to choose 14 delegates.
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Oregon state primary. Included in offices at stake is the seat of Senator Rufus Holman (R-OR).
MAY 20
- Pennsylvania GOP delegation of 70 meets in caucus in Philadelphia.
- Utah Republican Convention. Eight delegates to be chosen.
Hillman forecasts fourth term plea
Chicago, Illinois (UP) –
A demand for a fourth term for President Roosevelt will be made before a special meeting of the CIO Political Action Committee here tomorrow, its chairman, Sidney Hillman, predicted today.
Mr. Hillman, general president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, which opened its 14th biennial convention today, said the convention is expected to “give some time” to the CIO Political Action Committee.
Mr. Hillman was asked:
Is the Political Action Committee interested in who the Republican nominee will be?
He replied:
Yes, in a sense, we’d like to know who’s going to lose for the Republicans.
Mr. Hillman denied reports that the Political Action Committee had been out to beat Rep. Martin Dies (D-TX), who announced last week that he would not seek reelection.
Mr. Hillman said:
Mr. Dies has made wild statements that we were spending $250,000 to beat him in his home district. We haven’t spent seven cents to beat Dies.
Communists leery of Governor Dewey
New York (UP) –
Israel Amter, state chairman of the New York Communist Party, asserted yesterday that Governor Thomas E. Dewey has expressed “hope” of post-war collaboration with Russia because “he knows that a candidate daring to question it has no chance whatever of election.”
Mr. Amter told nearly 1,000 delegates attending the party convention that Governor Dewey is the “most likely candidate” of the Republican Party for the Presidency.
Recalling that Governor Dewey criticized American recognition of Russia four years ago, Mr. Amter said, “Mr. Dewey has not, as reported, widened his outlook.”
Monahan: Tampico, spy drama, on Fulton screen
Edward G. Robinson, Lynn Bari and V. McLaglen in top roles
By Kaspar Monahan
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The sad case of ‘Miss America’
1942 queen ‘not doing so well;’ finds title is a big drawback
By Erskine Johnson
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Travel abroad by air studied as trade help
Bigger market for exports expected
By Charles T. Lucey, Scripps-Howard staff writer
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What of crime after the war?
J. E. Hoover: Peril is real, but U.S. can whip it
By J. Edgar Hoover
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Yank officer dies in human chain
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‘Fella belong American’ he strong
Big boom-boom tells natives Japs are gone; Cape Gloucester fellas forsake their caves
By Staff Sgt. Gerald A. Waindel, USMC combat writer
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Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
London, England – (by wireless)
This will give you a rough idea of how big we have got over here:
In London’s West End there is a mess for American officers. They believe it to be the biggest Army-officers’ mess in the world. Sometimes they serve 6,000 meals a day.
Transients in town on leave do eat at this mess, but the bulk of the diners are officers from our headquarters staffs in London – and not all our staffs are in London, by any means.
This vast dining room seats nearly a thousand people, and sometimes it will be emptied and refilled in one continuous operation during one meal. The mass of humanity flows through so smoothly that the mess is affectionately known as “Willow Run.”
This mess is in Grosvenor House, one of London’s biggest hotels. The dining room is just one vast space, with no pillars in it. It is two stories high, with a balcony running around it. On one side of the balcony is a bar.
Willow Run is operated cafeteria style, but you eat at tables seating four, on white linen and with everything very civilized. Every meal costs the same – 50 cents. Everybody says it’s the best food in London. A flossy hotel would charge you $3 for less.
The food is about what you have back home – porkchops, mashed potatoes, sometimes fried chicken, once in a whole steak. I’ve had enlisted men tell me the Army messes in London are better than in America. All the food, except vegetables, is from America.
Willow Run believes it has the lowest wastage rate in the world. They make a fetish of your eating every bite you take. They aren’t joking about it, either. Three officers work up and down the dining room constantly. If they catch somebody leaving something on his tray, they take his name and turn him in. He gets a warning letter.
If a man’s name is turned in twice, he has to explain formally why he left food on his tray. And if it should happen a third time, well, the lieutenant showing me around shook his head gravely and said, “I hate to think what they’d do to him.” It hasn’t happened three times yet to anybody.
Ernie’s afraid to eat at Willow Run
The general who commands all these Army messes really means business on this food wastage. He comes around every day or so and inspects the throwaways. If there have been complaints from the diners that a certain item wasn’t good the general will say, “The hell it isn’t,” and pick up something from the discard and eat it himself.
I seldom eat in Willow Run, because they’ve got me scared to death. I’m such a small eater I can never get the girls behind the counter to put little enough on my tray. The result is I eat till I’m bulging and sick.
This vast Willow Run is operated by three Army officers, a WAC dietitian, seven sergeants and about 500 British employees, men and women both.
The boss is Maj. Walter Stansbury, who was vice president of the Hotel Goldsboro, in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He is assisted by Capt. Francis Madden, who was executive assistant at the Kenmore in Boston for 12 years, and Lt. Truett Gore, assistant manager of the Hilton Hotel in El Paso. The dietitian is Lt. Ethel Boelts of Archer, Nebraska.
I didn’t get to meet all the sergeants, but was shown around by three of them. They are executives over their special departments and have dozens of people working under them.
Sgt. Carroll Chipps runs the bakeshop, where they bake around 10,000 rolls and cakes per meal. He formerly managed the soda fountain at Rand’s Drugstore in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Another sergeant has charge of preparing all the food for cooking. You go into his department and you’ll see 20 women in one room peeling potatoes, a roomful of butchers cutting up meat, and three women who do nothing all day long but roll butter into little round balls between two wooden paddles for serving on individual bread plates.
This man is Sgt. Joseph Julian of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He has run restaurants all over America, following fairs and expositions. He has made seven world’s fairs. He used to run the Taproom in Dallas and the Silver Rail on Market Street in San Francisco.
National anthem
Sgt. Milburn Palmer has charge of the kitchen. He has been in the Army seven years, but he, too, is a restaurant man. He has the Chicken Shack at Sabinal, Texas, his hometown.
Odd things happen in an establishment this big. One day, Lt. Gore saw two captains, very rough and dirty-looking, being refused service by the girl in charge of the cafeteria counter. He went over to investigate and found they’d just flown in from Italy. He ordered them served despite their unconventional (for London) appearance.
When Willow Run first opened, it broadcast phonograph music, which has since been stopped. One day, the British boy who flipped off the records went to sleep or something, and “The Star-Spangled Banner” got on the machine. Everybody in the huge dining room stood up while it played. They had no sooner sat down than it started again, and everybody hopped up and stood at attention. This up-and-down business went on till the record had played four times.
Finally, somebody got the boy back on the job and something else on the machine.