The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-03
PRESIDENT HINTS
 OF BRITISH PLAN
United States Will Acquire Strategic Naval and Air
 Base, in British Lands
BY T. F. REYNOLDS United Press White House


 Aboard Presidential Special En Route to Charleston, w. Va, Sept. 3-CUP)-The United States and Great Britain were reported ready today to enter at once into an un- precedented agreement by which this country will acquire strategic naval and air bases in British possessinos in the western hemisphere.
 President Roosevelt was reported to have reached an agreement with Britain on all major phases of the plan. An announcement was under stood to be imminent, although mil nor details may defer it for "A or 48 hours.
 Last month MT. Roosevelt dis closed that he personally was con- ducting conversations with Great Britain, but since then has refused to discuss details or to reveal which British possessions were involved.
 He gave the first indication that progress was being made in an ad- dress yesterday dedicating the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
 Must Have Two Bases
 His text read: New bases must be established to enable our fleet to defend our shores" But when he de- livered 1t before an audience of 10,- 900 on the mile-high pass over the Great Smoky Range he said:
 New bases must be established and I think they will be established to enable our fleet to defend our shores
 There was speculation that the United States might acquire bases at Botwood, Newfoundland; Kings ton, Jamaica, where Britain main- tains one of its most powerful naval stations in the western hemisphere, or ct Trinidad, strategically located off the northern cosat of South America, and at Bermuda.
 Outright acquisition of the bases seemed out of the question on basis of a recent statement by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, with whom MT Roosevelt personally negotiated. When the agreement IS concluded, it appeared, the United States will gain the right to base its battle fleet and airplanes on British territory under 99-year leases.
 InspectS Naval Plant
 President Roosevelt, completing a quick trip to eastern Tennessee and North Carolina to dedicate two gov- ernment projects, inspectS 8 naval ordnance plant at Charleston, w.. Va, today before returning to the White House. AS in previous inspec- tions at Norfolk, Va, Portsmouth, N. H., Newport, R. l., Boston, Wa tertown, Mass, New London Conn.,. and Newport News, Va, he expected to order those in charge to do every thing possible to bring operations to their maximum capacity.
 In his national park dedication, ad- dress yesterday, MT. Roosevelt 1n- formed the nation of the premise on which he is passing unprecedented armament orders and other emerg- ency defense precautions.
 "The greatest attack that has ever been launched against freedom of the individual is nearer the Amer icas than ever before,," he warned.
 He said that Americans have ''grown soft in many ways" and that they must toughen themselves as did their pioneer forebears to prepare "in a thousand ways" against enemies from abroad and at home.
 If we are to survive we cannot be soft in 6 world in which there are dangers that threaten America danger far more deadly than those the frontiersmen had to face" he said.