What's the President Say?

Whenever Manhattan's key-hole columnists tire of puffing their friends or scalping their public enemies, they refresh their spirits by jealously skinning one another. Last week the knives came out with a vengeance. And, fittingly enough, Walter Winchell, who is the busiest scalper, this time got the closest skinning.

Columnist Leonard Lyons was the first to lift a bit of hide. Although Lyons is no

Winchell admirer, he had taken the job of vice-president of Winchell's Damon Runyon Cancer Fund. Two months ago Lyons resigned. Last week he explained why. He had been outraged, said Lyons, by Winchell's attacks on people. For example, Winchell had insinuated in his column that President Truman was tipsy when he wrote his insulting letter to the Washington Post's music critic, Paul Hume. "I knew this was untrue," said name-dropper Lyons, "because I lunched with the President a few hours after he wrote the letter, and know personally that he had not been drinking." Not long after, Columnist Winchell slyly turned on Lyons when he was threatened with jail for refusing to name the source of news items in his column on Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, the A-bomb spies (TIME, May 14). Lyons was conducting what he considered a gallant defense of freedom-of-the-press for all newsmen. But Winchell unfeelingly wrote: "Let him go to jail. It will give me a big laugh."

Old Feud. But Winchell's split with Lyons was mild compared to his old feud with Daily News Columnist Ed ("Little Old New York") Sullivan. Sullivan was sports editor of the old New York Graphic when the tabloid began Winchell's "Broadway Hearsay" column. After Winchell moved on to Hearst's Mirror at a fancy salary, Sullivan inherited his column spot. The feud officially began when Winchell accused Sullivan of columnar "blackmail" for inviting Heiress Barbara Hutton to throw a party for poor children in New York (she sent $5,000).

Sullivan got back later by reprinting erroneous Winchell items side by side with his subsequent retractions, which were so carefully worded that readers would never guess they were crypto-corrections. Added Sullivan: "So, you wanna play, Stinky?" The feud has simmered for years. Lately, Winchell has fought back obliquely. For example, now that Sullivan is master of ceremonies on a top TV show on CBS (Toast of the Town), Winchell raves about the competing NBC show (Comedy Hour) which is on at the same time.

"The Big Lie." Sullivan has also often found it hard to get back at Winchell; the News often blue-pencils anything about Winchell out of Sullivan's column. No matter what names Sullivan calls Winchell, the News figures it is still publicity for Winchell.

But last week Sullivan got his chance in a guest appearance on Manhattan radio station WMCA. He pointed out that Winchell has been calling Negro Singer Josephine Baker* pro-Fascist, Communist-guided, anti-Jewish and even anti-Negro since she charged that the Stork Club had refused to serve her food (TIME, Nov. 12). Cried Sullivan: "I despise Walter Winchell for what he has done to Josephine Baker. Long before [Senator] McCarthy came into the character-assassination racket, Winchell was one of [its] originators . . . This small-time vaudeville hoofer who never even got to the Palace . . . has developed into a small-time Hitler ... He has capitalized on the Big Lie . . ."

Winchell, who "has the audacity to give out sage opinions on foreign policy," has never set foot in any European country, "never even crossed the ocean ... A dangerously ill-informed man [of] tremendous egotism [and] great power unaccompanied by greatness or nobility of thinking . . ."

Winchell, who covers Broadway up to half the year from the sands of Miami, slapped off Sullivan's attack as if it were a beach fly. Said he loftily in Miami: "I didn't hear what Sullivan said. I do not want to engage in bouts with small-timers. I would rather hear what the President has to say about me."

*Who has filed a $400,000 damage suit against Winchell.

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