Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-07
Roosevelt Returns
ForInfensiVe Work on
Pressing Problems
Aid TO Britain and Chino,
Labor and Balkans Moy
Block Warm Springs Visit
BY JOHN C. HENRY.

BY JOHN C. HENRY.
President Roosevelt, the first Chief
Executive of the Nation ever chosen
to serve more than two terms, re-
turned to Washington today to a
full portfolio of gravely important
problems.
The problems revolved almost
wholly around the conditions Of con-
hict throughout the world, the policies
of this Government toward partici-
pants in these conflicts and our own
efforts to build defenses adequate to
shut off any threats to the peace Of
the Western Hemisphere.
Initial concern, as 1t has been for
the past two weeks, Is the Balkan
situation with a state of war
existing between Greeks and Ital-
ians in fact If not in theory.
The necessary documents for apply
ing the neutrality statutes to this
phase of Europe's war are in read
mess and their PRONUNCIATION may
take place very soon unless the
hostilities are suspended.
British Aid Problem Up.
Probably of deeper Importance is
the matter of increased and speedy
aid to Britain and China, for whom
greater assistance was publicly
promised by Mr.. Roosevelt on several
occasions during the election cam
paign just closed.
Britain in particular is known to
have been increasingly insistent in
recent weeks on a faster flowing
stream of purchasable material.
Already pending before the De-
tense Commission are negotiations
for British contracts for 10000 more
fighting airplanes involving the
subsidization of plant expansions
here and an intensified effort to
step up the pace of training skilled
labor for aviation manufacture.
w Other supplies are in demand by
the desperately embattled British in
one direction and the Chinese in the
other. Repeated assurances by Mr..
Roosevelt during his relatively brief
political effort that all cooperation
will be given these solitary defenders
of the democratic way of life as
opposed to the totalitarian lead to
a belief that some important step
may be taken soon by this Govern
ment to speed up the flow of ma
terial.
, To this end, it already is re-
ported that greater flexibility in
labor requirements of the defense
industries already has been sought
and may be effected.
Today, the President planned to
devote most of his time to an &C
emulation of mail, but he sched-
uled a luncheon conference with
Secretary of the Treasury Morgen-
THAI and an afternoon meeting with
members of the National Defense
Commission.
He was expected to consult Sec
rotary of State Hull by telephone
on the foreign situation.
Shortly after noon, it was an
nounced that Arthur B. Purvis, head
of the British Purchasing Mission,
would see the President later in the
day, which may indicate action in
the near future on an expanded
British buying program.
Effort for Labor Unity.
In the light of the Importance
which labor holds in this picture OF
building ornaments either for our
selves or for those the Government
wishes to help, it is probable that
new effort to bring unity into the
labor ranks may emerge from the
White House in the near future.
Since John L. Lewis, president of
the C. I. o., publicly renowned his
favor for the New Deal and urged
election of Wendell L. Willkie,
administration influence may soon
be exerted to enhance the prestige
of other c. I. o. leaders who sup
ported the Democratic ticket and
who might be more inclined than
Mr.. Lewis to accept reconciliation
between the two branches of labor.
Under the circumstances that no
material segment of the labor move
ment, either in the c. I. o. or the
A. F. L., followed the Lewis political
leadership, the task may not be I'M
duly difficult for the New Deal
.arrangers.
. Sure to play part, incidentally,
in this maneuvering in the labor
field will be another of the Presi-
dents most often repeated cam
paign pledges-that there will be no
relaxation Of the social gains of the
past eight years, that any modiflca-
tons for purposes of eXpediting the
defense program will be balanced to
assure no net losses to labor.
Board Appointment in Offing.
And standing well up in the list
of things which must be done
promptly to clear the labor picture
is that of filling the Labor Board
Craftsmanship, vacant since last sum-
mer when the term of j. Warren
Madden expired. Mr.. Madden's re-
appointment has been sought by Mr.
Lewis-was, in fact, one of the issues
over which the labor chieftain broke
With the administration-while the
a. r. l.. mas opposed MS return 10
the board
During the interval of board OPP
Grafton without a chairman a back
log of several important cases has
been building up because of the
Numerically opposite views of the
two board members remaining
William M. Leiserson and Edwin
Smith. Prompt sleection of a third
person is necessary if this bottle
neck is not to be permitted to choke
of important parts Of the defense
program.
On the legislative front there has
been no indication whether the
administration will decide to seek
further defense authorizations be-
fore the present Congress expires.
Mr.. Roosevelt told a press confer
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