The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-04

eS@AASA The vessel was held up by the British at the port of Freetown on the coast of Sierra Leone, a British West African possession. The vessel was searched and fin- ally released.
 The supplies for the American Legation were carried under the diplomatic seal of the United States, but despite this they ap- parently aroused British suspicion. State Department officials are mystified as to why the British were interested in these supplies. Their only explanation is that the supplies might have includued dy- namite for blasting the foundation of the legation building. The new legation will stand upon a rocky point.
 The American West African Line flies the American flag, and its agency is the Barber Steam ship Line of New York.
 NOTE-During the first part of the World War the search and seizure of American vessels by the British caused almost as much of- ficial resentment as German sub- marine sinkings. Some State Department protests sent to Eng land were just as vigorous as those sent to Germany.
 NO WAR TYCOONS
 One important factor behind the Presidents plan to disband the War Resources Beard was a short paragraph buried in the 1889 version of the Army's Industrial Mobilization Plan which he did not see.
 The Mobilization Plan is the blueprint of a semi-dictatoriai super government which the Gen. eral Staff proposes in case the U. s. becomes involved in war, and here is the paragraph which Roosevelt missed:
 "The personnel to fill posi- ti0ns of responsibility in the War Resources Administration should be obtained from the pa- triotic business leaders of the nation. The effect of strong and intelligent leadership is more important and will do more to secure voluntary CO., operation of industry and ci- william population than will any arbitrary regulations or organ ization charts that may be pre- pared, no matter how they may appear"
 Roosevelt had read the 1886 version of the Mobiligation Plan, which did not contain this lan- guage. But some of his militant advisers, shocked by the heavy J. P. Morgan representation on the War Resources Board and by the Wall Street-manned emer- gency brain trust set up by Sec retary Morgenthau, took the trou- ble to examine the 1889 version.
 What they found confirmed their fears that the military boys, supported by certain administra- tion big shots, were quietly plan- ming to Shelve the normal govern ment machinery in the event of war and set up a super-govern- ment of big business.
 So they lost no time bringing the .tell-tale paragraph to Roose- velt's attention. To say that he didn't like its pointed implica- tions is putting it mildly.
 PLENTY OF EXPERTS
 Significantly, the President an- nounced the exit of the War Re- sources Board without informing either the Army or Navy of his intentions. They knew nothing about it until they read the news in the papers. But Roosevelt was not so secretive with his inner circle advisers.
 "The government has plenty of experts to handle any emer- gency that may arise," he de- clared in effect. "In 1917 the government was small and ill., equipped to cope with the great problems that arose when the country went to war. The situ- ation is far different now. The government has been greatly expanded and has experienced and expert personnel to meet any emergency.
 For example: There would be no need to set up a Food Administrator, as was done in 1917, because the Agriculture Department has both the power and personnel to do such a job. And that goes for practically all other phases of activity. We don't want or need any suDer-