Show R w N R BE EN CONVOYS FOR SHIPS TO BRITAIN WASHINGTON Advisers who have talked to the President during the last four months say that he has gone through a significant transition transition transition tran tran- regarding aid to Britain also regarding a more aggressive policy toward Japan Last August for instance Secretaries Secretaries Secretaries Sec Sec- Stimson Knox and Morgen- Morgen thau who have strong influence on international policy wanted wonted Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt to bar all oil shipments to Japan But the state department persuaded Roosevelt to the contrary Several months later when the I duke of Windsor flew to visit Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt during his Caribbean cruise the I duke put up to him the desperate I plight of British shipping and asked for American naval convoys to protect protect protect pro pro- British ships across the Atlan Atlan- tic To this the President gave an emphatic No It was at approximately the same time that the late Lord Lothian came back from England and submitted submitted submitted sub sub- a list of the naval vessels i Britain would need to maintain her herI I lifeline of supplies from the U. U S. S A. A The list included not only destroyers destroy destroy- I ers but four cruisers of the Omaha I class Lord Lothian did not actually ask askI I for these ships He merely listed I the vessels which Britain desperately desperately desper desper- i needed But Roosevelt con continued continued contin contin- tin tin- to shy away from the idea of i convoying British ships with U. U S S. S I naval vessels I Later certain White House advisers advis advis- ers including such powerful figures I as Secretaries Knox and Stimson pointed out that the British navy had lost a terrific toll of men did not even have enough seamen to toman toman toman man the American over-age over destroy destroy- ers What Britain needed was ships manned by the U. U S. S navy The British picture was also made depressing by the difficulty of finishing finishing finishing fin fin- work on vessels in British shipyards Two battleships of the I King George class were launched I last spring but since then no ship I of any importance has come off the ways Reason is that the bombardment bombardment bombardment bombard bombard- ment of Britain began in earnest last summer and shipyards have been one of the main targets Since the yards are exposed they have suffered suffered suffered suf suf- much more than factories As a result ships have been bombed patched up then bombed again Another development is that within within with with- in the last 10 days in the Mediterranean Mediterranean Mediterranean where the British have lost the equivalent of seven ships The Southampton was sunk the Illustrious ous was put out of commission and five others damaged so badly that repairs will take two or three months Repairs are difficult in the Mediterranean because Malta is under constant bombardment and the naval base at Gibraltar is small Meanwhile German bombers realizing that the strength of the British fleet in the Mediterranean is the key to victory have taken over Italian bases and are raining destruction on the royal navy It was the succession of these developments developments developments de de- de- de which began to change Roosevelt's mind about U. U S. S naval convoys for British shipping Note No Note No commitments have been given the British and no policy has been definitely decided for convoying convoying convoying convoy convoy- ing British ships But advisers believe believe believe be be- lieve the President w will ll adopt such sucha a policy if permitted by congress SCURRILOUS LITERATURE Sensational feature of the forthcoming forthcoming forthcoming forth forth- coming report of the senate campaign campaign campaign cam cam- fund investigating committee will be an expose of scurrilous literature literature literature lit lit- disseminated in last years year's hectic presidential battle A page scrapbook of exhibits has been assembled by Harold Buckles committee investigator from all allover allover over the country While partisans of both candidates resorted to this type of literature more than 80 per cent of Buckles' Buckles collection is anti Also Aso of typical exhibits one-half one are wholly anonymous or only vaguely identified The committee lists such groups of which were Will pro kie and 22 pro Only six of the filed reports of their contributions contributions contributions con con- and expenditures with the clerk of the house This failure to report is a violation of the law and carries heavy penalties Dominant theme of the scurrilous literature is racial and religious prejudice More than 60 per cent of the committees committee's exhibits harp on this 10 per cent played up the war issue and 15 per cent leveled foul personal attacks on the candidates Note Committee investigators are of the private opinion that not less than was spent for this material ROUND MERRY-GO-ROUND Sam Pryor tongued bearing national committeeman from Connecticut Connecticut Connecticut Con Con- is pushing lame-duck lame Governor Governor Gov Baldwin as successor to National Na Na- National Chairman Joe Martin Some Sometime Sometime Sometime time ago Pryor had his own ambitions ambitions ambitions ambi ambi- for the job but was stopped dead by a blunt warning from midwestern mid mid- western leaders Franklin Field is a famous football football foot foot- ball gridiron also the name of a aman aman aman man who urges more Good Neighborliness Neigh Neigh- through private aviation tion |