Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1940-12-26
Roosevelt
Ve+oes Ship
Seizures
Was Merely Checking UP
on Legal Prospects
BY PAUL MALL0N

SnlpS OF DelllgerpntS which the
President has seized and in
termed. Mr.. r. said only that
his lawyers were looking up the
legal prospects.
Some of his lawyers did not
need much looking TO conclude
no legal justification was posSi-
BILE. The navy can legally buy
or charter the ships. but this
method is out because the bel
ligerents won't sell. The Secrc-
tary of treasury can take phys
ical possession, baniShing ship
crews and installing guards. but
he cannot operate the vessels.
The United States could con-
fiscate the ships and turn them
over to the British only if Con-
gress specifically approved. Con-
greSs won't. Apprehensive pri-
vate comment among the legis-
latorS indicates Mr.. Roosevelt
can get through nearly anything
he wants for British aid unless
he recommends a violent or war
involving ACT such as this would
clearly be-
The signs all point therefore.
to the probability that Mr.
Roosevelt will put a permanent
black patch over the covetouS
eye.
THE legal obs taclcS are
L strengthened by critic a !
com ment widely expressed
among American diplomats. No
one here objects to giving the
British all we have, but Selling
things from their rfenffcS- to
give them is another matter.
The British would have i'm
pressed American officials more
with their sincerity. if they had
submitted some figures on how
many merchant ships they now
have plying the peaceful seas in
empire trade outside the North
Atlantic theater of war.
Expert private shipping .au-
thorities have informed this gov
eminent that the British have
not even yet requlsitioned many
frelghters that could be spared
from Australia. India and South
Africa and elsewhere to keep
their home lifelines open in an
-enaeseeHes.-----Ffirr-rf- pot1cy nrIdS
been to get by without interfer-
ing with empire trade any more
than necessary.
COME time ago the former
~ A m erie IAN ambassador to
London. Joseph p. Kennedy
recommended TO the British
that they withdraw all the ships
they are using in non-war trade.
and let US take over the aban-
doned commercial routes for
them. The British did not want
10 do this.
While emotionaliSm may be
expected to guide Americans IN
commercial and international
affairs, the British have wisely
learned from longer world DO
lltlcal experience TO reserve
I n eir emotionaliSm for fort
nightly week lends in the
country
Every official instinct here de-
SlreS to help the British to the
utmost but such things as the
seized ship proposal has inspired
number of officials to express
hope that we will not make fools
OF ourselves. or let them do it.
\ SMALL gathering of Repub-
n lican and Democratic Con-
gresSlonal authorities have been
discussing the idea of getting
Joe Kennedy up before a Con-
greSSlonal committee 10 ell
what he knows. Initial feelers
toward Florida, where kennedy
Is vacationing. led some of the
group TO expect the ambassador
might be willing To talk after
his vacation is over. The doors.
however. may be closed You
viii recall that he and the Paris
ambassador. Bill Bullitt. ap-
peared before a closed session of
I he Senate foreign relations
committee a year or more ago,
establishing precedent.
Kennedy apparently is becom-
ing the most feared man in the
current domestic international
debate. Certain administration
extremists have been anonV-
mouSly belaboring him with epi-
thetS since election tnot bcforel
and William Allen White paid
hum the honor of attacking him
as a White House Judas. al
though Mr.. White did not make
clear what for.
Fact seems To be. Mr. Ken
ncdy knows as much as any one
about the inner condition OF
A n 6 o American affairs.
knowledge which might acquire
the explosive quality OF dyna-
mite If exposed L air.
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Reproduction in whole or ia par
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ONE YEAR AGO TO-DAY
Dec. 26, 1899
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