Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-15
Roosevelt
Intends TO Do
AsHe PIeases
Projects Navy Policy, But
Is Silent on dHis Own
BY PAUL MALLON

and little done about Mr.. Roose-
VeltS new policy. its skein at
least is fully evident. Mr. Roose-
Welt presented some specific
evidence, laid down some broad
principles and now intends TO
do as he pleases. This is the
same formula he has been using
lately.
He gave the evidence OF how
the NaziS had been sinking
some ships. He projected the
broad policy Of the freedom Of
the seas and Of shooting TO pro-
tect them. But he did not say
where he was going to limit
himself.
The effect is a declaration Of
war against the NaziS. sea
and air war 10 range all the
waters Of the world possibly
excluding only a small indis-
tinct area (the combat zonel IN
some respects
IN THIS new kind Of unde-
clared war Gas he vaguely
limited it,. Mr.. Roosevelt can
perform any Of the projects that
have recently been discussed.
He could convoy. seize Dakar
and the Azores. patrol the Red
Sea. even send the navy into
the English Channe! and North
Sea. No one here thinks he
intends TO do all these things
Immediately. He just chose TO
leave himself wide open limits
as usual.
His game is the same as al
ways, TO keep Hitler guessing
as to the limitations of his in
tentions. If Hitler knew how
far Roosevelt intends to send
ships or naval scouting planes.
the German navy could be kept
out Of those areas. As it is
wherever a navy ship or plane
meets German ship or plane,
there the undeclared war will
be on.
The only obvious important
restrictions upon Mr.. Roose-
velt's about purpose to shoot
Nazi war vessels on sight are
three. He cannot send draftees
outside the Western Hemisphere.
although possibly he could send
them to Iceland. (There is a
law against thaD. He cannot
send American merchant men
into combat areas imposed by
the Neutrality Act. He cannot
permit American citizens to
travel on belligerent vessels.
THE Germans are supposed TO
Il have around 200 submarines
(They had 100 when they
started the war;. Their opera
tions lately have been limited
for lack of fuel. But their sub
fleet is certainly sufficiently
large so that incidents (battles)
cannot be avoided whenever an
American ship or plane meets
German ship or plane in the
North or South Atlantic, the In.
dian Ocean or wherever.
This. Mr.. Roosevelt said, is 10
protect the freedom Of the seas.
What he meant was the Anglo
British freedom of the seas.
certainly not German freedom Of
the seas.
They said around the top Off
cial desks Mr.. Roosevelt was in
duced TO take this fur h er
advance step because he was
convinced Germany is beaten
talthough some few top officials
estimate the war might last
two years yeti and because the
Japanese Emperor's assumption
of control over the wild army
of Japan gave cause for relief
that some portions Of our fleet
could safely be moved from the
Pacific TO the Atlantic to enforce
the new policy where it is likely
TO need its greatest force.
The most important matter
now lies behind the indefinite
new Roosevelt policy TO guaran-
tee transport of goods 10 anti
NaZi nations on the seas. The
real question still is production.
If you cannot produce enough
fighting material no amount Of
protection for its transport will
do you any good.
MR.. ROOSEVELT thinks he
'l solved this problem. tenn
porarily at any rate. by adopting
the RoSenman defense reorgani-
cation plan. shifting men, bu-
reauS and authority here and
there. but leaving the final say
for himself.
Suppressed groanS were evil
dent down in the defense setup
when Mr.. Roosevelt made this
decision and dropped the plan
of Bernard NJ. Baruch which
centerS in one-man control Mr..
Baruch's one-man plan was or
iginated in the World War, hut
il has been studied and brought
up 10 date by the war college
and army industrial college, so
IL is really not his plan.
Baruch knows more about
these things than any one else
around government because he
has been through them before.
Mr. Roosevelt turned Baruch
down because he does not want
! 10 delegate the final saw TO an