The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-21

General strategy behind the sud- den fleet shift, however, is defin- ite. It is based upon the fact that wiaen the British fleet is en- gagged in the Atlantic, the Japan csc go beserk in the Pacific.
 Last summer, when everyone knew that the Czechoslovak crisis was coming to a head, Prime Min ister Chamberlain sounded out Roosevelt, via Joe Kennedy, as to what the United States could do in the Pacific in case the Bri- tish fleet got tied up in a Eu- ropean war.
 ROOSEVELT REPLIED THAT HE COULD MAKE NO COMMIT MENTS.
 Recently, again, the British, fearful of what might happen in the Far East, sent mission to Japan and China ready to talk compromise, even discuss the cession of Hongkong to Japan.
 This is an almost incOnceiv- able concession for the mighty Empire of Britain. But real fact is that Hongkong is com- pletely at the mercy of the Jap anese, could be taken overnight. PHILIPPINE WORRY
 So also are the Philippines, which under the independence agreement still can depend upon eight years of American protection. This is understood to be one of the major factors in the sudden shift of the fleet back to Pa cific waters. % '2
 Another situation worrying
 the Navy Department is the known Japanese intention to bounce. upon the Dutch East Indies whenever Europe is busy elsewhere. Java and Sumatra, with their tremendous oil re- serves, long have been the most coveted prize of the Japanese Navy.
 Today, with the British en- gagged in the Atlantic, Japan could take not only the Dutch East Indies, but the Malays, Siam French Indo- China, and probably even Singapore without losing many ships.
 war. ,poandetaoin shrdlu cmfwyp tn .VANDENBERG VS TAFT 4
 Two men left the Gridiron club dinner last week with entirely different emotions. One was Sen. Vandenberg of Michigan, who was in the clouds. The other was Sen. Bob Taft, who was in the doldrumS. .ae
 Their opposition reactions were not dissociated. Bob Taft had pulled the worst speech of the Gridiron evening. Everyone was talking about it. Newsmen who heard him figured it washed him up as a presidential candidate.
 And Taft, being a realist. knew it, frankly told his friends that he had pulled a dud.
 That was why vandenberg left the Gridiron Club feeling high. He and Taft recently have been on the opposite ends of poli- tical see-saw. Coming from
 Michigan and Ohio, adjacent Midwest States, one can place on the Republican 1940 ticket, but not both. So when the prospects of one go down, the prospects of the other go up.
 NOTE-Just now Vandenberg is not such a bad bet for the vice. presidency, with Dewey running for President.
 WHITE HOUSE SECRETARIES
 Corcoran and Cohen are not nearly as likely to be members of the new White House Secretariat as brilliant economist, a veteran civil service official and an ex- pert on government.
 Tom and Ben don't want the job, prefer to remain in the back ground. So Roosevelt is consid- ering the following: Ni Isador Lubin, young director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, former professor of economics at Brookings Institution and one of the. best known research authori- ties in Washington.
 William H. McReynolds, admin istrative assistant to Secretary Morgenthau and rated one of the ablest career men in the govern ment service.
 Herbert Emmerich, 40-year old Chicago expert on government and SAcretaru of RnOseualt,c commit