THE CONGRESS: Without Jazz

MR. BARKLEY: I ask unanimous consent that . . . the Senate . . . stand in adjournment until Thursday next.

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Is there objection? The chair hears none. . . .

For once in sonorous harmony, the majority leader and presiding pundit of the U. S. Senate, Alben Barkley and John Nance Garner, last week continued to shush debate on U. S. foreign policy. When they began doing it two weeks ago G. O. P. Leader McNary winked, congratulated “Dear Alben” upon his adroitly prolonged adjournments, tipped off the fact that Republicans were no more anxious than Garner Democrats to step out against International Defense.

Profound distrust of Franklin Roosevelt’s foreign policy inspired Mr. Garner, who thinks that the less Democrats say about it, the better for him or any other Democratic candidate for President in 1940. Profound conviction that the Democrats need no assistance in harming themselves continued to inspire G. O. P.’s McNary. Such remaining oppositionists as Missouri’s fat Bennett Clark, North Dakota’s Gerald Nye, California’s Hiram Johnson, constituted not a real Opposition but a malformed crew without plan or leader. Thus deprived of the full-dress performance previously advertised by Senator Clark & Co., the public had to make out last week with some informative sideshows:

> “When you are entering into an important contract,” inquired the French air attache in Washington, “do you provide yourself with a jazz band to attract attention?” Accorded full attention, the Embassy proceeded last week to itemize recent French orders for some $65,000,000 worth of U. S. military planes: 100 Curtiss fighters (added to 100 ordered last year); 200 North American advanced trainers; 115 Glenn Martin bombers; 100 replicas of the new Douglas bomber which crashed four weeks ago and revealed the presence of a French buying mission in the U. S.*

> Majority Leader Sam Rayburn (to the House): “. . . Wherever the frontier of America may be … the people . . . want America to be prepared to defend that frontier.”† Whereupon the House voted (367-to-15) to appropriate about $376,000,000 to up the U. S. Army Air Corps, from 2,320 to 5,500 planes, 21,500 to 45,000 men, otherwise flesh out the land forces. Next on the House Rearmament calendar: $52,000,000 for Guam and ten other naval bases.

>New Hampshire’s Senator Bridges persuaded the Senate Military Affairs Committee to call Ambassador to Germany Hugh R. Wilson. If, as reported, Hugh Wilson does not see Europe as Franklin Roosevelt was shown it by Bill Bullitt & Joe Kennedy, the committee was not so informed. In net effect, Mr. Wilson gravely underlined the Bullitt-Kennedy reports (TIME, Jan. 23). Whereas those gentlemen talked at length, Mr. Wilson talked hardly at all. The situation, he said, was too grave for discussion.

*French Captain Paul Chemidlin, injured in the crash, was recovering at Santa Monica (Calif.) Hospital last week.

†This week New York Timesman Arthur Krock quoted Franklin Roosevelt as having recently said to several confidantes: “France is our first line of defense.”