Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-06
Winont Brought No Peace Plan,
Roosevelt Says, Charging Nozis
FoIsify British Ability to Fight
Germans Trying to
Dupe U. S. People,
President Asserts
By JOHN c. HENRY.

cused the German government
Of attempting to dupe the Ameri-
can people by a flood Of false
hoods about Britain'S ability to
fight and the empires wish for
peace.
Speaking in obvious indignation
10 a press conference, the Chief
Executive hurled his accusation in
answer 10 stories that John G..
Winant, Ambassador to Britain,
had brought to this country reports
of imminent British capitulation or
the outlines Of proposed peace.
There was not even a tenth
cousin of a peace offer or anything
like that or any discussion OF peace,
he told his conference with per-
mission that he might be quoted
directly.
Absolutely nothing like it he
repeated. with these added words,
provided you use this not as
denial by the President but as an
accusation by the President"
Denounces Propaganda.
When he was asked the precise
meaning of his accusation, the
President explained that he meant
the German government by us
propaganda is attempting 10 oupe
certain American people.
Mr.. Roosevelt also declared he
had on his desk copies OF two orders
issued to what he called Nazls ana
Fascists in this country by the Of
fetal German propaganda agency.
With a distinction between peace
proposals and the possibility that
the British are virtually war-eX-
hausted, the President said that
stories to the latter effect are made
out of the same kind of German
whole cloth.
Mr.. Roosevelt's extended and bit
ter denunciation of the spreading OF
what he called German propaganda
followed his announcement that he
had signed legislation authorizing
reouisitioning of all foreign mer-
chant ships now idle in American
waters.
It was followed, during a discus
sion of a variety of subjects, by an
acknowledgment that he is giving
thought to steps which might be
taken to make local labor organiza-
tons fully responsible to their lead
erShip.
Reasons Two-Fold.
Mr.. Roosevelts challenge at Ger
man propaganda efforts was prompt
ed by a request that he give his
conference some accurate informa-
ton on the purpose of Mr.. Winant's
visit here.
His initial explanation was that
the reasons were tWo-fold: First,
that the Ambassador should report
on Is or so major topics relating to
the conduct of the war in Great
Britain. and, second, to obtain in
formation on Is or 50 topics per-
tanning to our defense program to
take back to England.
At this point, the President re-
marked that, although he hated to
talk about the newspapers, there has
been an amazing coincidence in the
material carried in certain types of
papers recently. He emphasized a
hope that this was entirely coin
cidence
Just before Mr.. Winant arrived
here, he continued in explanation,
the President received two men,
oranda relating to orders issued in
Berlin, not to people in Germany
or Europe, but to Nazis in the United
States. Included in this classical
ton he added are various grades
of people in this country who favor
sppeasement.
Slant on Such Orders.
Naturally Mr.. Roosevelt then told
the conference, he is receiving all
along a pretty good slant on such
German orders. Reporters can as
sumo, he assured them. that he has a
pretty good idea of German propa-
ganda activities here at all times.
In these two memoranda. he con-
tinued, there were two things that
Nazi and Fascist followers in this
country were asked to emphasize.
First, ne continued, was that Ger
many has no thought, not the Slight
est, of doing anything against any
country in the Western Hemisphere.
AS illustration. the President then
cited to his conference a story car
ried by some papers Che identified
only the New York Times written
by John Cudahy about an interview
with Adolf Hitler.
(The story in question appears
in this issue of The Star on Page
A-3. An editorial, "Hitler's Lula
BY" commenting on the inter
view, appears on the editorial
page. A-100
Making clear that he disapproved
of this type of story, the President
then declared that to his mind the
best answer to it was an editorial
carried in today's New York Times
In brief, he said, this editorial is
(see ROOSEVELT, Page AID