Evening star., 1940-02-16
Presidents 5 Attitude
Arouses Speculation
On Peace Move
Declines to Deny
Possible Meeting With
Diplomats During Cruise

Possible Meeting With
Diplomats During Cruise
By the Associated Press.
ABOARD U. s. S. LANG, GULF
OF MEXICO, Feb. 16.-President
Roosevelt rode salt water last night
aboard the cruiser Tuscaloosa, while
newsmen could only guess whether
he sought belligerent fish or bellig-
erents' ENJOYS.
In response to a direct question, he
neither affirmed nor denied that he
might meet spokesmen OF warning
powers while cruising in Southern
waters.
Bouncing along on this conveying
destroyer, reporters found much food
for speculation, but few facts in the
Chief Executives cryptic remarks at
a final dry land press conference yes
terday aboard the train that brought
him from Washington to Pensacola
Fla, to start a Today -to-two-week
sea trip.
Attitude Arouses Speculation.
Pursuing picturesque possibility
but expecting the very idea would
receive an awful "kick in the pants"
reporters asked if the President
might have a rendezvous at sea or in
some neutral port to discuss neutral
ity and peace problems with repre-
sentatives of Britain, France and
Italy.
Instead of dealing out one Of the
Rooseveltian oral spankings, the
President said only that he did not
think he would comment.
When his questioners pointed out
that he was building up good mys-
terry novel" atmosphere, he still de-
clined to say anything that would
stop intriguing speculation.
Nor was conjecture that he might
be contemplating new peace moves
or additional steps to guard Amer
ican neutrality lessened by his re-
mark that it would be fair to assume
he would combine some business,
nature unspecifled, with his vaca-
tioning. Or by his observation that
his fishing probably would be only
sporadic-on a trip widely accepted
as fishing cruise"
President Turns to Whimsy.
Equally evasive, but more whim-
steal, was the President in answering
questions about his nautical course.
He asserted some one had it all f1g-
ured out-he thought 1t was Tommy
Qualters, his personal body guard
that he was going to the Andaman
Island Gn the Bay of Bengal near
India) the Celebes Cast IndieO and
stop on the way home at the Shet-
land Island Gn the North Sea and
the war zone). Such course would
take him very long way around the
world.
He said he couldn't comment on
the chance that he would inspect the
neutrality patrol operating OF the
Atlantic Coast, because that would
supply information on the points Of
the compass and narrow down the
area in which he might cruise.
The passage of hours brought no
relaxation of the secrecy surround
ing the voyage and no clue, for
newsmen accompanying the Pres
ident, to his destination. Neither
the course nor the speed was dis
closed as the Tuscaloosa and Lang
ploughed through choppy sea.
Best information from non-presi-
Dental sources was that the Tusca-
loosa would move southwark along
the Florida Gulf Coast, but none
would say if she would nose on into
the Caribbean, where numerous
belligerent warcraft, notably British
warships, have been seen and Ger
man submarines have been reported.
In more serious vein, Mr.. Roose-
welt said the patrol was working
well and had demonstrated two
things potentially important to
national defense-flrst, that it took
longer than was expected to put old
reserve destroyers into commission
0AAN cVNoA1SB VIC uCSICC Va CO-OlO Ollld.
ton that could be obtained between
lighter surface craft, such as de-
stroyers, and patrol planes.
The President said he didn't over
look the fact that the patrol had
kept things pretty peaceful on the
American side of the Atlantic, but
that he doubted whether the patrol
area should be widened.
He declined comment on the
British practice of bringing Ameri-
can. ships into the forbidden war
zones for the purpose Of making
contraband examination.
The President drove from his
train to the waterside in an open
car and was greeted by thousands
who braved- chill winds along the
1G-mile route, while squadron of
naval planes from the Pensacola
base roared overhead.
He boarded the Lang in the
harbor and the destroyer took him
out to the larger Tuscaloosa, which
could not come far inshore.