The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-08-26

The United States wants Brit aims island bases in the Western Hemisphere, but these are not nearly so vital as defending New York, Boston and Philadelphia. And if the British fleet falls in- to the hands of Germany, no force now in the possession of the Uni- ted States can prevent success full attacks on the Atlantic sea- board if Hitler wants to make them, SO long as the United States still has one-ocean navy.
 At present. the number of U. s. warships in the Atlantic is not enough to ward of even the Ital- ian fleet, let alone the combined German and British navies. And even if one-half of the United States fleet is shifted from the Pacific, leaving California open to Japanese attack, this half could not prevent a joint German British landing in New England, New Jersey or Maryland.
 Therefore, what Roosevelt has been worried about, and is def1- nitely discussing with the British, is what becomes of the British fleet in case of defeat. This is where the destroyer trade first en- tered the picture: i. e., U. s. na- val help for Great Britain now in return for British naval help to the United States later.
 WOULD ENGLAND
 SURRENDER:
 In this connection, one of the things considered by American diplomats was whether the Brit ish could deliver their fleet to the United States and Canada in case of defeat. The Nazis might threat en to wipe out entire cities in re- taliation if the British fleet dashed across the Atlantic to the United States. Might not the British Sur- render, as did the French fleet, is the important question.
 This discussion brought out
 the obvious fact that Britain
 is in a different position than
 France, since large parts of her
 empire are in Canada. Australia and New Zealand. If her fleet
 could escape to aid the remain
 der of the Empire, Britain might
 in time weld together the d0-
 minions in cooperation with the
 United States, into the last
 remaining barricade to Nazi
 domination of the world.
 Even more significant is the
 feeling of some Englishmen
 that the Empire might be better
 off if it were reconstructed
 around Australia and Canada,
 in cooperation with the United
 States, thus getting away from
 the idea that the British Isles
 now too close to European tur-
 moil-are the nerve center of
 the Empire.
 While such discussion is large ly theoretical at present, it points to a very genuine desire on the part of the British to lend the fleet to Canada and the United States, in return for definite na- val aid from this country-at once.
 HENRY WALLACE IN ELWOOD
 To Henry Wallace the town of Elwood, Indiana, is memorable only as the place, where, once and for all, he settled the question of how to pronounce the word ''t0mato".
 He went to Elwood two years ago, unaware that Willkie had ever lived there, to speak at a tomato festival. He opened the speech by telling the audience that Washington hostesses tried to make him say, "to-mah-to", and 1t went hard with him be- cause back in Iowa he always used to say, 'tO-may-to".
 So he proposed to settle the question right there in Elwood. He put 1t to a vote. Those In favor of 'to-mah-to', raise their hands, commanded Henry. Not e hand was raised. "Th0se In favor of 'to-may-t07" Every hand went up.
 Henry came back to Washing ton and told Mrs. Wallace that he had been vindicataed, that he didn't have to follow the vogue of Capital hostesses any more. But Mrs. Wallace took the side of the opposition. declaring that in Mex leo. where the tomato comes from the word must have been prom nounced "to.mah-to''.
 Result is that when the Wai-