Evening star., 1933-07-05
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Everybody is wondering who finally
had President Roosevelt's ear on the eve
Of his London Conference bombshell
and caused him to hurl it. The deci-
sion was, OF course, his own. but it is at
such variance with his previous attitude
on the urgency of stabilization that
eleventh hour counsel from some quar-
ter evidently must have prevailed. Many
guess it emanated from Bernard M.
Baruch. Others think Budget Director
Douglas may be the culprit. In one of
the London dispatches rejecting the
American delegations CONSERVATION. the
impression was registered that Col. Louis
McHenry Howe may have been the one
who cast the die. The Presidents clos
est confldant was with him aboard the
cruiser Indianapolis, en- route to An
napolis, whence the message to London
apparently was dispatched. So was
Gov. Henry Morgenthau. jr., of the
Farm Credit Administration. F. D. r.
leans heavily on the advice of these
two long-trusted aides. The history of
this stirring week is bound to associate
their names with the fateful step the
President elected to take at London
fateful mainly because no man yet
knows how it is going to affect Amer
ica's relations with Europe in the imme-
diate future. If the American delega-
ton, despite everything that's happened,
contrives to keep the conference alive,
much of the curse will probably be
taken off.
In so far as its rugged American in
dividualism is concerned. Franklin D..
Roosevelt spoke the language Of George
Washington when the former addressed
himself to the conference. 1t was dur
ing the closing years of his second term
that the first President found occasion
to stand firmly for a strictly American
position amid attempts to swing him
to the side of either Great Britain or
France, then at war. as they now are
at odds over gold and currency. Typl-
cal of Washington's mood and not in
appropriate at this hour is lsAer he
wrote to Patrick Henry in October,
1895, containing the following passage: !:
INV ardent desire is, and my aim mas
been, as far as depended upon the
executive department, to comply strictly
with all our engagements. foreign ana
domestic; but to keep the United states
free from political connection with
every other country, to see them lnoe-
pendent of all and under the influence
of none. In a word. want an Amerl-
can character, that the powers OF Eu-
rope may be convinced that we act
for ourselves. and not for others. This.
in my Judgment. is the only way 10 DC
respected abroad and happy at nome !:
and not, by becoming partisans OF
Great Britain or France. create 1is-
sansions. disturb the public tranquliilty,
and destroy. perhaps forever, tiie
cement which binds the union.
x x x x
Much as he knows about ships OF
war. Commander in Chief RooSeVeie
inspected with zest the many new KINKS
in n s. S. Indianapolis, which trans
norted him to Annapolis. He observed
for instance, that the cruiser Is speclaliy
fitted to serve as "relief" for the nag
shin of the United States Fleet and IS
known officially as the United states
Fleet Flag Relief" She mas quarters
available not only for the meet COM
mander in chief, but for his entire staH
including an admiral. several captains
lesser officers and many enilsted men
especially assigned for duty on the stan
The quarters were used Ior tne ,,1, 1tls.
time by the presidential party. What
the Indianapolis demonstrated speed
of 321. knots and designed horsepower
of 1O8. 900 mean in terms OF machinery
and boilers can be appreciated when it
is recalled that u. S. s. Saratoga, with
only 45,C00 of her 10000 horsepower,
was once used to light the entire city
of Tacoma. when the municipal water
power plant failed. President Roosevelt
was informed that the big cruisers bat.
terry of nine 8-inch guns is CAPABLE OF
hurting steel at an enemy at the rate
of something better than ton min
ute. With the Indianapolis ultra
modern radio equipment, 1t is routine
matter for messages to be received and
transmitted simultaneously from or to
widely scattered points. One operator
can be sending to Sitka, Alaska, while
another Is receiving from Panama, and
still another In touch with Navy wire
less at Arlington.