Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-12-01
Admiral Leohy, a Cold ReoIist,
Has No Illusions on Diplomacy
A Well Rounded Man,
He Takes Logic to
Vichy Hot Spot
BY REG INGRAHAM,
Press stan Writer

to what's left OF France, has no IL
lusions about modern diplomacy.
The doughty. retired sea fighter
made that plain on several occa-
sions while holding down the Nays
top-ranking post as Chief Of Naval
Operations.
"To expect that modern diplo-
macy will safeguard the property
Of nation Is to expect too much,
he said on one occasion. ITO be-
lieve in the efficiency Of pacts and
treaties to protect US against inter-
national brigandage is q dreim of
Missionaries.
On the other hand, officers who
served with him both at sea and
ashore are quick to attribute to him
many qualities which they assert
make him eminently fitted for the
dificult task of guiding the United
States relations with aged Marshal
Petain's French government at
Vichy.
"Cold Logician."
A "cold logician," they call him,
who Is well-rounded outside his
profession, particularly in the field
OF world economics, and with q
faculty for grasping details.
1t was no mere coincidence, his
friends insist, that President Roose-
welt picked Admiral Leahy for the
Vichy assignment after Gen. PERISH
ing's physician forbade him to risk
accepting it. When Admiral Leahy
went to Puerto Rico as governor in
June, 1939-a couple of months
before his retirement ended a 49,
year career in the Navy-it was in
something Of the role of a trouble
shooter" and informed sources as
sert that the way the international
picture is shaping up, he may be
called on to play the same role at
Vichy.
Admiral Leahy was known in the
fieet as one OF the Nays ablest
executives and also as one Of its
strictest disciplinarians. Oficers
who served under him, however,
insist there was nothing of the
martinez about him.
A Leahy Story.
There's story in naval circles,
for instance, Of an exasperated gun
pointer aboard the battleship New
Mexico who had reason to appre-
ciate Admiral Leahy's tolerance.
During gunnery practice, so the
story goes, the crew in one of the
turrets near the quarter deck had
been bothered by officers and men
walking in front of the gun-sight in
crucial moments.
Finally, when another obstruction
blocked the sight, the gun pointer
beloved:
Get the hell away from that
sight"
The obstruction" was Capt.
ieafy, the battleship's commanding
ofiicer. After the customary naval
apologies had been extended by the
officer in charge of the gun, to-
eether with a diplomatic foreword
OF the crews earlier troubles, Capt.
Leahy dismissed the incident with
gruff Don't let it happen again"
There Is no record, though, that he
ever blocked another gunsight.
Beetle-browed and baldish at IS,
Admiral Leahy's face still stamps
him as a sea-dog and his decora-
tons are a chronicle Of this coun-
try's wars, major and minor, since
he entered the Naval Academy as
q somewhat reluctant cadet back
In 1899.
Waited to Go to West Point.
Born in Hampton, Iowa, May 8,
1875, Admiral Leahy as a boy had
an abiding interest in the military
history of the Civil War as q result
Of his grandfather's participation
In it. Early in his life he wanted
an Army career and after being
graduated from high school at Ash
land, Wis, he sought an appoint
ment to the United States Military
Academy. His Representative in
formed him, however, that he had
no appointments open at West Point
but would be happy to nominate
him to the Naval Academy.
Admiral Leahy admits now he's
glad things turned out that way
especially since he climaxed his
naval career by reaching the Nays
highest ONCE.
From the peace loving Middle
West, young Leahy was catapulted
into war Immediately after his grad
uation from Annapolis, being as
signed to the battleship Oregon in
the Pacific. He is one Of the few
living Navy men who made the
historic dash around the Horn in
battle OF Santiago de Cuba in the
battle of aSntiago de Cuba in the
Spanish-American War.
To this day he refutes disparaging
comparisons of the Oregon with
the Nays battle-wagons Of today.
She was quite q ship In those
days." he insists.
Won Cross in World War.
When the United States first en-
tered the World War, Admiral Leahy
was in command of the dispatch
gunboat Dolphin which cruised the
waters of the West Indies-not far
from his present post as Governor
Of Puerto Rico-in search of Ger
man supply vessels. The following
year he supervised the commission
ing and assumed command of a
converted German passenger liner,
the Princess Alice of the North Ger
man Lloyd, which was rechristened
the U. S. S. Princess Matoika and
was employed to transport and con-
voy troops to France.
His services in that capacity won
him the Navy Cross with the cita-
ton that 1t was for distinguished
service" in the "exacting and
hazardous duty of transporting and
escorting troops and supplies to
European ports through waters in
Tested with enemy submarines and
mines"
Between the Spanish American
and World Wars, Admiral Leahy saw
service in the Philippine Insurrec-
ton, the Boxer Rebellion and the
American occupation Of Nicaragua
49, L. &;v~.n la o14yAf <@f