The Pittsburgh Press (September 15, 1941)
By Drew Pearson and Robert S. Allen
Washington –
For 20 long years, Henry Fountain Ashurst represented the State of Arizona in the Senate, was the Senate’s most distinguished orator, most polished gentleman and the Judiciary Committee’s most powerful member. When he was defeated the Senate mourned, felt he could never be replaced.
The man who defeated him has sast in the Senate for eight long months completely mute. Mr. Ashurst, always a gentleman, called him a fine Senator and a fair opponent; but other Senators said nothing.
Even in the press gallery few knew who he was, No one could say definitely where he stood. He had voted for defense measures, but lined up with the isolationists against the draft extension bill.
Undoubtedly, this was why Senator Wheeler made Ernest W. McFarland the fifth member of the isolationist-packed committee to investigate Hollywood. He was counted on to be a mere figurehead, non-troublesome window-dressing.
Little did Mr. Wheeler realize his mistake.
The secret strategy of the isolationists was to launch a barrage pf scorching attacks on the movies by Senators Nye and Bennett Clark, co-authors of the investigation, and other hand-picked sharpshooters. And with no critical questioning anticipated from the handpicked committee, the isolationists were counting on a big publicity jamboree all the own way.
But the man who took Mr. Ashurt’s place in the Senate completely fooled them.
Out of a clear sky and to the goggle-eyed astonishment of the four isolationist probers, Rookie Senator McFarland subjected Messrs. Nyue and Clark to a grilling that had them squirming in painted distress. When they had finished running the gauntlet of his slow-spoken questions, he had drawn from them these embarrassing admissions:
That they themselves has hardly seen any of the films they denounced as “was propaganda.”
That they had based their attacks on statements made to them by others, whom they refused to identify.
That they proposed no legislation, and that the probe, in effect, was a “witch hunt” to smear the movies for producing anti-Nazi pictures.
That Senator Nye disapproved Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator because it ridiculed a foreign country and ruler – Adolf Hitler.
Wendell Willkie
Senator McFarland, a former county judge and expert on irrigation, was slow, frank and kindly. He seemed to enjoy himself immensely. So did Wendell Willkie, counsel for the movie industry, who was refused the right to interrogate Messrs. Nye and Clark end their hand-picked witnesses.
This is not, however, keep the irrepressible Republican standard-bearer from blurting out his views despite the frowns of the committee.
When Mr. Nye accused the movies of being a monopoly, Mr. Willkie emitted a loud stage whisper, heard by everyone:
Monopoly, huh! You should have seen the way they squabbled among themselves for three weeks before they hired me.
Again when Chairman D. Worth Clark of Idaho announced that the committee would enlarge its investigation, Mr. Willkie remarked:
That’s nice. They can keep this thing going to suit themselves indefinitely. But I guess I’ve got no complaint. I’ll have a job until 1944.
Midnight snack
The other day, Senator Roger Peace of South Carolina, who holds the former seat of Justice Jimmy Byrnes, dropped in to see Justice Byrnes at his home in Spartanburg. It was late in the evening and the two men raided the icebox. It was jammed with food.
Peace asked:
How do you happen to have so much food in the icebox today?
Justice Byrnes grinned:
Well, after 20 years, it feels so good to be able to walk down the street and not have anyone stop and ask for a job that I just went downtown this afternoon and did some shopping.
Ex-Senator Byrnes was one of the President’s most efficient Congressional lieutenants and commanded great influence when it came to patronage.
Merry-go-round
Mat Adams, retiring head of the Young Democrats, is a political wizard from whom his elders could take some good lessons., Two years ago, Adams assumed office with the Young Democrats’ treasury in debt. When he turned over the presidency recently to Joe Carr of Tennessee, all bills were paid up and there was money in the bank… Before the late Rep. Edward Taylor, the 83-year-old Coloradoan, left Washington to visit his home, he recalled that the high Colorado altitude had been fatal to an elderly colleague who had been away from the state for several years. Taylor said:
I haven’t been home for some time, but I don’t think I have anything to worry about. I feel fine.
A week later, he died of heart disease in his sleep.