Show F By Ray Tucker NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS N Telegram Columnist 1 WASHINGTON High administration administration administration ad ad- ministration officials brush aside all legal technicalities in off- off record the attempts to justify the swap of 50 American destroyers for air and naval bases on Britain's Britain's Brit Brit- ains ain's western possessions Attorney Attorney Attorney ney General Jacksons Jackson's formal opinion was admittedly only so much window trimming Realistic state say that they acted in the same spirit that mot motivated Theodore Roosevelt when he got the Panama Panama Panama Pana Pana- ma canal zone lease They concede concede concede con con- cede that all rules the rules the 1907 Hague convention the 1917 law barring ship sales to belligerents the revised neutrality act are act are out in the face of a possible Hitler triumph over England and an eventual attack on this continent They have become only so many scraps of paper They defend the deal on the broad ground that a nation like an individual has the right to buy a pistol when t 1 burglars are abroad in the community com com- the the phrase in vogue for months past among refugees and their friends Unless Hitler is looking for trouble on this side of the Water water water wa wa- ter they insist that he cannot take offense at the transaction transaction- that he cannot hold it to be a hostile act or a reinforcement of his ultimate European foe Underlying Underlying Un Un- denying this attitude is Washington's Washington's Washington's Washing Washing- tons ton's willingness for him to consider consider consider con con- sider it an unfriendly gesture if he he wants to In other words he can can like It or lump it The more candid Insiders admit admit admit ad ad- mit that the United States will probably inherit the European war as a result of this transaction transaction transaction tion if Hitler r conquers Great Britain immediately or even even- Despite attempts to draw a distinction between the de de- de- de bases exchange and the British pledge not to give up their fleet under any circumstances circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances they constitute a single deal Before consummating the swap President Roosevelt required required required re re- re- re a promise that the British armada would not be scuttled or surrendered to Hitler no matter what happened abroad Not until that pledge was forthcoming did Mr Roosevelt and Prime Minister Minister Minister Minis Minis- ter Churchill as heads of their respective governments enter Into the agreement over destroyers destroyers destroyers de de- de- de and bases To impartial observers observers and and some officials admit admit admit ad- ad ad ad- mit it the It-the the United States has engaged engaged en en- engaged en- en to fortify these western fortresses as a second line of de defense defense defense de- de in the event Britain should have to abandon her tight little isle In that case and assuming that Hitler seeks world dominion Uncle Sam will be fighting alongside alongside alongside along along- side John Bull against a world of enemies s. s Cynical ask openly despite Secretary Hulls Hull's disavowals dis dis- dis- dis avowals avowals w avowals whether eth r this country has given other oth r unpublished pledges of aid to the British If not it is the most sided one-sided trade in all political history The basis for this suspicion rests inthe inthe in m the fact that the 50 destroyers are worth only about less less than we paid for the Virgin Virgin Virgin Vir Vir- gin Islands whereas Islands whereas Churchill's promise of the fleet and grant of bases cannot be estimated in any known medium of exchange Republican senators are exhibiting exhibiting exhibiting ex ex- ex- ex a strange lack of ol interest interest interest inter inter- est in Wendell Willkie's presidential candidacy or party success this year It may be unfair to certain G. G O. O P.-ers P. in the upper chamber but several incidents convince the candidates candidate's friends that they are running out orr ott orrI I him him or or laying low until they discover how hes he's doing When Willkie attacked the Russell Overton-Russell amendment to the conscription bill Democratic members leaped at this opportunity opportunity opportunity to tear him apart Forgetting Forgetting Forgetting For- For getting the crisis besetting the f country they Spent two sessions in a vicious onslaught They blasted him as a capitalist willing willing willing will will- ing to draft men but not money Only two Republican senators senators- Wiley and Gurney made Gurney made any attempt to defend him and their retorts were weak Whereas the full Democratic membership was in their seats only a few G. G O. O P ers P.-ers ers appeared to back up their hero They went A. A W. W O. O L. L Conversely the Republicans flubbed a chance to make headlines headlines headlines head head- lines by assailing Henry A. A Wallace's Wallaces Wallaces Wallace's Wallaces Wallace's Wal Wal- laces lace's acceptance address War Secretary Stimson has Imposed Imposed imposed im Im- Im- Im posed almost unprecedented secrecy secrecy secrecy se se- se- se crecy upon officials and officers of his department He has held only two press conferences since he took office and he refuses to permit his assistants to give out information about military prep prep- His reticence derives partially from his experiences as secretary secretary secre secre- secretary tary of ol state under Herbert Hoo Hoo- ver In those morose days he was frequently subject to sharp questioning questioning questioning ques ques- from the correspondents specializing in foreign affairs and he grew gun But his unwillingness to divulge legitimate legitimate legitimate mate details about the army has provoked concern among his sub sub- ordinates It has also contributed to the presidents president's embarrassment on several occasions It has brought unjustifiable charges that the administration is deliberately deliberately deliberately withholding data which the public has a right to know There may be another explanation explanation explanation ex ex- ex- ex for Mr Stimsons Stimson's aloofness Chief of Staff George C. C Marshall MarshI appears to be running running running run run- ning the department aided by byone byone byone one of the most efficient general general gen gen- general eral staffs in the nations nation's his his- tory But the hard-boiled hard chief though willing to answer all questions limits himself to routine routine rou iou tine matters President Roosevelt's speak no-speak- politics attitude has become con con- Not even the humblest government clerk will enter into a discussion of the rival candidates candidates' candidates candidates' candidates candidates' candi candi- dates' dates chances of the third-term third issue of any question pertaining to the hottest subject in the country today Some w wont won't nt even admit that 1940 is a presidential election year Copyright 1940 McClure Syndicate |