The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York • Page 8

NATIONAL WHIRLIGIG BROOKLYN EAGLE, SUNDAY, JAN. 25, 1 942 8A Rio Anti-Axis Pact Helpful In Spite of Modifications RAY TUCKER'S LETTER DON'T FORGET PARTNER Jr TriE FAEMER YOU ADVANCE, Jgl THE FARTHER YOU MAY HAVE" To RETREAT Thr Intrr-AmPrican Confprenre at Rio cie Janeiro has been a stormy and it has been necessary for Under-Secretary of State Sumner Welles to fight every inch of the way to achieve his aim of united action against Hitler and his allies. But success ha.s finally crowned his efforts even though the agreement adopted by the plenary session of the defense committee and slated for formal approval by the full conference tomorrow is not in the form oricinally souRht. The agreement reached Wednesday declared that the American Republics "cannot continue diplomatic relations with Japan. Germany and Italy," while the final text states that the "American Republics, in accordance with the procedure established by their own laws and within the position and circumstances of each country in the actual, continental conflict, recommend the rupture of their diplomatic relations with Japan, Germany and Italy." Incidentally the crisis precipitated In the conference after the first agreement was made emphasizes the danger of loose, thoughtless statements during war time by men in high government positions.

For Argentina's sudden refusal to go along with the original plan after its delegate agreed to it has been ascribed to the statement by Senator Connally. chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, that "before the conference is over President Castillo will change his mind or the Argentine people will change presidents." All this is water over the dam now. The rift has been straightened out. An agreement has been made. It is apparently going to bring a prompt severance of relations with the Axis powers on the part of all the remaining American Republics except Chile and Argentina.

And according to dispatches from Rio these two can be expected to follow suit immediately after pending elections which are described as the main reason for the present easiness of their politicians. Peru smashed all speed records by breaking with the Axis powers yesterday. When we think back to past relations with the nations to the south of us before the days of the "good neighbor" policy, the result at Rio must be looked upon as little short of a miracle. It is a terrific blow to the machinations of Hitler to divide the Americas. If there was any doubt as to the extent of the Axis plottings on this continent it should be silenced by the announcement that Brazil almost broke with Germany a week ago because of threats that the passage of the resolution under consideration would bring an immediate declaration of war by Germany and her allies.

That Axis agents, spies and saboteurs are active in many parts of South America is beyond question. It is good to know that most of the governments involved are alert to the peril. FROM WASHINGTON White House attaches and even more distinguished residents at 1800' Pennsylvania Avenuecannot afford to admit it witlout smiling, but Wendell Wiilkie has become a troublesome package to wrap up In official ribbon. He had a backdoor key to the Big House in return for his valuable support of the United States foreign policy, but he has become just another Republican since the assault on Pearl Harbor. P.

D. R. did not relish Wendell's recurrent yells for unscrambling the SPAB omelet, although the President was willing to outsmart his critic by naming Donald Nelson as Production Manager in a surprise move. Nor did the Rooseveltians appreciate the Hoosiers speech claiming that his party's lambasting had forced the reorganization. The Administration had almost forgotten that he was the leader of the "loyal opposition." So had G.

O. P. -ers on Capitol Hill, who are quite eager to let the Democrats take him back. The Chief Executive has told friends that hf wants to place his 1940 opponent, "somewhere." But F. D.

R. has headlined his one-time utility foe so magnificently that the latter sniffs at a minor post. His restless, impulsive temperament makes it difficult to hand him a steady, responsible job. As one New Deal spokesman remarked: "How can you give him a permanent spot? He's like a flea. Now he wants to go to Australia." Note: The "down under" assignment has been entrusted to of all people an erstwhile member of the group surrounding the hated Herbert Hoover: the Honorable Patrick J.

Hurley. The Republicans' overwhelming victory in a special Connecticut election to fill a House vacancy convinces the Willkie-Martln-McNary clique that it may capture the lower chamber next Fall. The contest was the first, real lest of public sentiment since our Pacific lasses and British defeats in the vicinity of Singapore. Democrats scoff at their opponents' Nutmeg State success, pointing out that the winner, Joseph E. Talbot, is one of the best beloved men in the State.

But the Waterbury district, where he cleaned up, has been among the most prosperous sections of the country owing to war contracts. On that basis the advantage seemed to lie with the Rooseveltlan forces. The turnover, however, tallies with, results in other States. In the last six months the minority party has achieved gains in special elections in Wisconsin, Colorado, Massachusetts and now Connecticut. Chairman Martin also expects to carry two seats in special contests that will be held soon in Pennsylvania.

"Joe" decided to do no crowing over the New England result lest he be accused of playing partisan politics in a war crisis. But off the record he regards these triumphs as proof that his forces will win a majority in Congress in November. He doesn't pursue the subject, but if they control the House, he will become Speaker. In that office he will be the G. O.

likeliest Presidential candidate in 1944. The "maid trouble" which inconveniences humbler dwellers at the Capital also bothers the "big shots." "Paw" Watson always scoffed when his friends complained about their difficulties with "the help." The Presidential Secretary, a practical joker, delighted to describe the fried chicken, hot cakes and Southern biscuits which his colored girl dished out for him at his home in Charlottesville, Va. Now "Paw" is scanning the want ads. His prize has left him for a better Job as private elevator operator for Madame Frances Perkins. Carni3iV In th Christian Srinfp Monitor.

THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE ers LETTERS Inexperienced Trial Lawy From thp New York Law Journal! treasonable. Now. we can put up with slacks on women air-raid wardens or women engaged in other activities where skirts are a handicap, and we're all for sacrifice in the common cause. But we can't help voicing a plaintive, wistful hope that the slacks won't spread into fields and over figures which had best be left to the skirt. How about a bargain: No woman over 16 to wear slacks except in line of duty, in return for which men will agree that no man of any age shall wear skirts? Libya Explains Malta General Rommel's sudden assumption of the offensive against the British forces in Libya may explain the sustained air attacks on Malta in recent weeks.

The German general undoubtedly has received strong reinforcements, and the terrific bombardments of Malta probably were designed to keep British airmen from interfering with the supply ships that carried the reinforcements from Italy to Africa. Skills in Demand Young people who buckled down and acquired scientific training are reaping dividends on the hard work they did, according to the placement bureau of Brooklyn College, which reports that there are more jobs than in years for those who have the training for them. Stenography and typing, too, are skills in demand. All this is further proof that the ability to "do" something never fails to pay in the end. Joe Lash Again Representative Martin Dies says his committee sees no reason to change its records on Joe Lash, the youth leader who wants to get a Naval Intelligence Service commission.

A couple of years ago Lash admitted membership in allegedly Communist organizations. In a recent reappearance before the Dies committee, reportedly at Mrs. Roosevelt's suggestion, he admitted the same things, so Mr. Dies sees no reason to "whitewash" the perennial youth to facilitate his entrance into the Navy. Mr.

Lash now says he will be glad to take his chances with the rest and go into the Army as a draftee, and his draft board seems to think he's likely to find himself in the Army shortly. A good top sergeant of the old school ought to get Mr. Lash up out of the youth class in a hurry. The Spreading Slack What goes on here, anyway? Lately we've been reading Women's Wear Daily, which ferrets out the dark and mysterious goings-on in the women's clothing trades. It's filled with stories about the way slacks are knocking the trade dead in Los Angeles and Miami and with intimations that what we've seen of them in the past is as nothing to what we'll see, come Spring.

Slacks are narrower, slacks are slimmer, "slacks now belong to the fair sex." gurgle the style reporters, and the thought seems to be that unless a woman wears slacks she's subversive, unpatriotic, defeatist and possibly past. There is no reason why it should not be effective in the future. Some such system of training lawyers to do court work should be adopted and made mandatory by 'the rule or statute for all who propose to appear in our courts in the prosecution or defensa of causes." Our correspondent and Justice Cuff are in agreement in principle that trial counsel should be required to have adequate practical experience In trial work before being allowed to assume full responsibility for the trial of a case. Perhaps, as our correspondent suggests, the mere lapse of five years after admission to the Bar would not be in every case a guaranty of sufficient trial experience. Practical tests in addition to.

or in lieu of, a specified term of years might be required. However, as we understand Justice Cuff's remarks, it is only that he suggests that a beginning should be marie by requiring five years' actual practice before a member of the Bar should be allowed to try a rase. Looking again at the concluding portion of Justice Cuff's remarks, perhaps the Legislature in enacting such a law as he recommends would coasider the advantage of defining what was meant by "actual practice." A FACT A DAY ABOUT BROOKLYN Rrooktvn has more than eiglityhankt combining services and resources which are such that every possible, financial accommodation can be obtained through them, from a schoolboy's small deposit to a loan of Sl.OOO,-000 or more for a major industrial enterprise. As of January, 1941. Brooklyn had twenty-one savings banks with more than 1.T1X.000 depositors and over $1,275,400,000 in deposits.

These fig-vres rank the borough tenth among cities in the country having mutual savings, institutions. HEFFERNAN says At the recent round-table discussion at the Brooklyn Bar Association on the subject of "The Trial of a Civil Case," Supreme Court Justice Thomas Cuff was a guest of honor and made some interesting remarks. He recommended special qualifications for members of the Bar before they should be allowed to try cases, and he deprecated the multiplicity of boards or commissions which are now authorized by law to perform judicial functions. The Brooklyn Eagle commented editorially upon the foregoing observations under the caption "Inexperienced Lawyers," expressing general approval of Justice Cuff's observations. A Brooklyn correspondent of the Law Journal.

Denis M. Hurley, a member of the New-York Bar. also discussing Justice Cuff's views, argues that adequate trial experience cannot be inferred from mere lapse of time at the Bar. writing in greater part as follows: "The editorial in the Brooklyn Eagle of Tues-day, January 13. on Inexperienced Lawyers' commands attention.

It is based upon the provocative suggestion of Supreme Court Justice Thomas J. Cuff made before the Brooklyn Bar Association in urging legislation requiring attorneys to have at least five years of practice before they could appear in court as trial or appellate counsel. The editorial emphasizes the point made by Justice Cuff that there is nothing now to protect litigants against inexperienced and untrained lawyers. "With the ba.MC proposition that no attorney without some preliminary training and experience in court procedure should be permitted to try cases or argue appeals we agree. But with all due respect to the learned justice, the proposed requirement of five years of law practice would not.

seem to afford any guarantee of the desired training in the object to be attained, namely, facility in court room technique. Should the five years' practice be devoted to office matters or to research in the law library, how is any of the requisite skill developed in the trial of cases? "Every trial judge and trial counsel can cite instances of lawyers who. on the very day of their admission to the Bar. demonstrated more aptitude for trial w'ork than lawyers many years their senior. The reason for this is that such young men had acquired their training before being sworn in as attorneys.

The typical example is the law student who clerked in an active law sffice during the day and studied law at night, who was fortunate enough to become associated with experienced trial counsel for whom he Investigated the facts of cases, whom he assisted in the preparation of the case for trial, and during the trial played an active though silent part in the court room. "The law clerk who investigates the facts, who interviews all types of witnesses in their homes, at police stations, or in the hospital, the store, factory. Jail or at the law office, and then observes how the stories of those same witnesses are skillfully unfolded in the court room and piece by piece the evidence Is adduced until the whole ease has been completely developed by able counsel such a law clerk Is the one who gains the soundest basic training for future trial work. If. to such training, the student-clerk adds the cultivation of the art of speaking in public, with much actual practice before audiences, there is no reason whv he should not be ready to try a case the very day he is admitted to the Bar.

Surely, such a newlv admitted lawyer should not be penalized by beinc; compelled to wait for five years before appearing in court. "The process of tlaininsi described is one fhal ha produced the finest trial lawyers In the TO THE EAGLE Letter? must beeir signatures and oddresset of writers but pen names will be permitted at the discretion of the editor, wha reservei the right to tut them down to meet requirements of ipoce. Appointments for Sheriff's Office Provoke Criticism of LoGuardia To Hie Editor of the Rrnoklyn Eagle: Mayor LaGuardia's handling of the appointments in the newly created sheriff's office are very interestine in view of the statements he has repeatedly made about the merit system, career men and so forth aloni? that lkie. First of all. he told Benline, No.

1 man. that he had better stay where he was in the Department of Housine and Buildings; then he picks No. 2 man. McCloskey. executive in LaGuardia's department of' investigation.

For the several county administrators he goes through the list and selects a lot of men who are in the LaGuardia administration as Bernstein. Kehl, Anderson, Bre.nnan and Malmud. The poor deluded gentleman who received hicher ratings than those selected are evidently not career men or LaGuardia sycophants. Brooklyn, Jan. 7.

A. H. WHITEHEAD. Historicol Play on Wilson's Efforts Holds Lesson for Another Peace To thr Editor of the Brooklyn Eaqle: There is a good play on a great theme which merii.s much more attention than it is getting. In Time to Come" tells the dramatic and tragic story of how a great man tried to achieve the Peace of the World.

The prologue shows Wilson delivering his war message, and then it portrays the unprecedented trip to Europe, the tremendous receptions, the delays and the negotiations with sharp, hard and realistic men A disillusioned Wilson returned buoyed, however, by the hope that through the League he had salvaged the core, that in it he had found the agency which could transform a-nd cure the defects. But he did not understand the isolationists. The Lodges were whetting their knives. The scene with Senator Lodge tingles with suppressed animosity, the harsh collision of two stubborn natures. And the-n comes the last valiant effort.

Physically rent and wrecked, Wilson spent himself to the utmost, still holding aloft his grand banner. Broken, he totters out for a last interview requested by House and refused by Wilson. From the letter of House, Joe Tumulty reads the phrase and opinion that In Time to Come" the practical men who now appear triumphant will be proven wrong and your program will become the ideal of the world. And Tumulty added a remark with which the world now probably agrees "I would rather be the office boy of Woodrow Wilson than the twenty-ninth president of the United States." For all interesied in the vital theme of "Win the Teace." after the Nazi tyraony is defeated, we recommend "In Time to Come." Brooklyn. Jan.

13. FRANK SERRI. Buy Defense Bonds and Stamps Americans everywhere can help their coun-iry dr'rat the enemy npare.txor.i hy inventing and regularly in Defense. Bonds and Stamps. L's 25 YEARS AGO IN BROOKLYN January 25, 1917 Supreme Court Justice James C.

Cropsey gave the Board of Estimate two months to decide whether Kings Highway should he made a 140-foot highway as a borough or city improve-men', or an RO-lOO-foot thoroughfare built as a local improvement at the cost of adjoining property owners. Teacher Tells Us to Practice Sterner but Ennobling Virtues Mrs. Mary Rottger of Bay Ridge received the news that her son Adolf Terry Rottger. who served with the Anzscs in Flanders, had been killed in action last November. valuable but the outlook for the type of job is not.

So it goes in many occupations which are not now essential and which, because of a reduced buying power among the people, will not be what they were in the years of abundance. One reads much about what the schools are io do in the pi -cruises. But what me as hawng sound M-nse in n. I read in the current issue of the Brooklyn Teacher. It is bv the editor William BeMieim.

principal of P. S. 1 Hi-re a paragraph: "No time should be lost now in waning that who have been preaching ease as the way to success should have kept silent. The soft lite, which they pictured, so suited our indolent natures that our thinking became soft and we accepted their doctrines. That, is all over now and.

bitter as the lesson may be. we'll learn the virtue of obedience and discipline. It is futile to feel sorry for ourselves, for any one with capacity for thinking knew that our easy way of liuna -with a parked car at every door uas clue for a knockout; and. sooner or later, pleasure-lovmE of ouis would have to piactu-e oin aain those -erner but ennobling virtues on whi it was founded." Mr Beisheini the schools must now turn nut 'iMxens fi; to live in a democracy; who are conscious o( their nahts hut also of their duties Had we such citizens we should have hern able to distinguish shadow from substance i.n the recent years; we should have been able to save the taxpaer without im-poverishing the public A sophisticated tt'ulcl was taught 'o deride homely copy -book maxims Honesty, after all. was the best policy or primal corruption, with our assent if not apprm.il.

could not have made a mess of our cif taxation All that "litters is not sole!" musi have (right all boys that a -cent dollar was not a full dollar and a hie wage scale didn't mean a big wane if emptv factory allo could only echo a cry for social justice. Accounting for It IFrom thr Minnnu PrrH The best crack we've heard lately is that the reason Hitler always looks so glum and sour Is that he gets up on the wrong side of the Channel every morning. WORK By EDGAR A. Gl'EST Work's the way to every goal. Work's the highway and the gate.

Work provides the rugged soul With the means to master fate. Work, whatever sort it be, Is the guide to destiny. When the cynic shoulders shrug. When the nearby scoffers sneer, Give your bell a tighter tug Just pretend you cannot hear. Just remember, 'neath the sun Only work gets haying done.

Youngsters starting out today Some, with most, convincing speech, Will insist an easier way Can be found your goal to reach. Don't believe them. To the end Work ill be your truest friend. Work produces books and plays; Work builds structures, large and small. Everything men plant and raise It is work that does it all.

Nothing here is left to guess, Work's the secret ol success. A fine-looking, dark-featured younc fellow-, on his way home from Brooklyn Collcje, dropped in to see me a few days ago. Hr was looking for a friend and there was a mistake his address book. I asked him what he was gt tidying. "I am majoring in English he said.

"I had hoped to teach it. but these days one doesn't know That struck me hs indicative of the conT the schools of our nation which have been blithely treading the primrose path of tneorv after theory until, after the pattern of Aristotle Dewev and his school of thought, mental infantilism becam cardinal tenet of American pedagogy. Stark realitv has found them floundering about, contriving plans which will preserve the status quo with respect to fetishes and "academic freedom" and the like and yet meet the challenge of the times, These days one doesn't know This hoy-there are many like him throughout- 'he country has been taught not to acijiw his mind to any possible situation but to specialize a field that is overcrowded In vocational schools we are teaching boy as p.iri of their high school courses to make automobiles and suri-deoly that is convered m'o war work end the automobile ceases 10 be our crea'e-t Industry. The manual acquit ed is BROOKLYN EAGLE (Trudf Murlt Fai.f Regisif rrdl IFound-d bv Isnnc Vn Andfn In 1411 THE BROOKLYN DAILY EAOLR FRANK D. SCHROTH, President and Publisher W.

CROWELL. Sfcrftarv nd Treurr Ilf BHiIdmt. Johnson and Adamj Strena Brooklyn. New York TFt FPHONE MAin 4-H20O SuhsiTipunn -aie mall for the Brooklyn Sagla in Ihf Umtfd Slain, one jpr. llno Enlfrpd at lh Brooklyn Postoffice ni gtconft Claw Mail Mautr.