Who Are the Allies?

Would any Senator willingly arouse G.I. ire? Obviously not. Yet the New York Times last week headlined: SENATORS IN ITALY STIR ARMY ANGER.

The Senators were Montana's Burton K. Wheeler and New Jersey's Albert W. Hawkes, ex-industrialist and onetime president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In Rome, they had attended a forum with 250 soldiers at a Red Cross club. It was a stormy session.

First break came when an enlisted man asked Senator Hawkes why Italy is not getting more aid from the U.S. When Hawkes inquired, "How would you help Italy?", the G.I. retorted: "We are paying you to be a Senator to answer such questions!" A staff sergeant complained that while the U.S. had won the decision in Italy, Communism was now winning Italian hearts.

This brought a sizzling question from a corporal. He asked whether it would be "better to dodge the issue [with Russia] or fight it out right now." Aroused on a favorite subject, Burt Wheeler then fanned the flames by making an anti-Russian speech. A twice-wounded combat sergeant jumped to his feet and said: "I've been led to believe Americans and Russians have been working and fighting together. Where does your line come from? Why has the discussion taken such a trend?"

The G.I.s, 90% of them combat men, finally gave the Senators a message for home: "For heaven's sake tell them to stop proposing new payments and bonuses to soldiers. Tell them we would be willing to pay them to get out of the Army."

Later, Burt Wheeler, sour on the whole performance, said of the heckling G.I.s: "A couple of Commies." Said G.I.s of the touring Senators: "They're bums."

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