The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-11-29

But they were so wrong. Inside fact is that Admiral Leahy is one of Rocsevelt's most vigorous ad- Visers in favor of helping Britain, and has even urged that a large part of the American navy be sent to Singapore in order to keep an eye on Japan, and serve as a silent warning against Japanese penetration down to the Dutch East Indies.
 In the White House conference at which this plan was proposed, Admiral Leahy engaged in hot argument with Under Secretary of State Sumner WelleS. who was opposed to sending the, fleet to Singapore and who pointed to the danger of German naval advance on Dakar and the Azores in the Atlantic.
 Admiral Leahy replied that as long as the British fleet he'd out, there was no need to worry about Dakar and the Azores. But once the British fleet crumbled he said, then the American navy would be up against the problem of guard ing two oceans-which at the present time was impossible.
 AID BRITAIN IN ORIENT
 Therefore Admiral Leahy urged thatt he United States help Great Britain now before itwas too late, especially in the Far East. Keep ing Japan in her place, he said. would have a more Salutary effect upon the dictators of the world than any other single move the United States could make.
 During this White House confer ence Admiral Stark, Chief of Ma val Operations, lamented that the fleet was unprepared because it did not have enough tankers to carry fuel oil across the Pacific. To this Admiral Leally replied:
 Admiral, did you ever think
 of picking up the telephone and
 calling the heads of Standard
 Oil and Texaco? They have
 plenty of tankers and they are
 patriotic citizens who would be
 glad to lease them to the Navy"
 This is the type of man Roose- welt Is sending to France in an att tempt to wean the French over to the British side and tip the balance of war against Hitler.
 NOTE = Secretary Ickes pays tribute to Admiral Leahy as the best governor ever to serve in Puerto Rico, where he has been stationed since his retirement from the Navy two years ago.
 GRIDIRON CLUB
 Most amusing feature of Presi- dent Roosevelt's refusal to attend the Gridiron Club dinner, held in December, is the fact that only four members of the club knew about it. Apparently these four were keeping it secret from the other members until the last minute because it would detract from the clubs prestige.
 Members of the National Press Club, on the other hand, long ago had a pretty good indication that Roosevelt would renege on the Gridiron Dinner. The Press Club dinner is a Democratic affair at- tended by the several hundred members, and there is nothing ex- elusive about it. The dress is black tie, not the formal white tie and tails of the Gridiron Club, which has an exclusive member ship of less than fifty.
 So when a delegation from the National Press Club called on Roosevelt to invite him to its annual dinner, they found him in Q rebellious mood. g
 -Four press dinners q year are
 too mueh," he said in effect. There's the Press Club dinner, the
 Whlte Houee Correspondents dinner, and two GFldiron Club
 dinners. The Press Club and
 White House Correspondents
 dinners gre all right. but these
 Children Club dinners III
 Whats the use of getting your-
 self done up in c while tle for Q bunch Of stuffed shlFtss"
 NOTE - Most of the Crldlron Club members arc ardent New Deal hatefD. several belonging to the WiIlkie Brain Trust during the recent campaign. At past dinners. most of their ilbcn have been alnna aaalssl tho Roosevelt ad-