Evening star., 1935-03-06

Two one-time United States battle
ships, the former Idaho and Missis-
sippi, vintage of 1905. are probably in
the thick of the Greek revolutionary
fray. A certain young Assistant
Secretary of the Navy named
Franklin D. Roosevelt was in office
when they were sold to Greece
in July. 1914. for sl2,535,275.
The Mississippi was turned over at
Hampton Roads, where Greek crew
boarded her. The Idaho was delivered
in the Mediterranean, while she hap
pened to be on cruise with Annapolis
midshipmen. Proceeds of the sale
we're used to speed the construction
of sister ship for the United States
Navy under the 1914 appropriation
bill. The Idaho was rechristened the
Lemnos, while the Mississippi became
the Kilkis, names famed in Greek his
tory. The battleships displace $4,000
tons each and carry four 12-inch guns,
with secondary batteries of eight g.
inch and eight 7-inch weapons. Once
upon a time they had a speed of II
knots. American naval men, apart
from sentimental interest in the roles
of the old Idaho and Mississippi in the
Greek unpleasantneSs. are curious to
hear about the bombing Of the rebelll-
GUS Greek warships by airplanes. It's
suspected the damage was pretty de-
Wasting, because units of the Greek
feet probably are without anti-aircraft
equipment. The United States has
no naval attache at Athens, which Is
within the bailiwick of the attache at
Rome. From the latter Naval Intelli-
gence eventually will receive full de-
tails of the sea fighting in the Veni-
zelist revolution.
No speech in the United States in
a long time, not even by President
Roosevelt, has caused more commo-
ton at Washington than Gen. Hugh
Johnson,s blast at Senator Huey Long
and Father Coughlin. 1t stimulates
1886 third party speculation, which
has been Increasingly rife throughout
the session. The view is becoming
pretty general that there's bound to
be third party in the field. At this
writing four men-Senator Long, Sen
ator Wheeler. Democrat, Of Montana.
and the Progressive La Toilette
brothers of Wisconsin-stand out as
logical" candidates Were labor, in
f1ationists, Townsend planners, radical
groups and anti-New Deal malcontentS
able to rally around leader and q
platform, politicians are inclined to
agree that it would introduce
formidable factor into next years cam
paign and definitely imperil President
Roosevelt,s chances for re-electlon.
particularly If the depression were stlli
unconquered.
Nothing tangible has yet been dis
cussed or determined at the State
Department respecting participation
of the United States in an Anglo
Observation-Disclosures interna-
tional loan to China. Other things
being equal. there would be a dispo-
sition at Washington to look favor
ably upon such a project. A SO.
called four-power "conSortium" would
be a token of that equality of eco
nomic opportunity and all around fair
play in China, which the United
States has consistently espoused, but
Il is doubted whether the Marking
government, amid present-hour jap
anese ascendancy in China, could be
induced or would be permitted to enter
into q transaction which Toxic as
sails as interference" with Japans
plans for being China's one and only
big brother. washington Ambas-
sador Saito is kept informed of loan
! talk and is understood to have re-