The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-05-12

Knox. who last week said all Amer ican resources, including manpoWer, were committed to preservation of British control of the Atlantic, speaks tonight to the Society of American Military Engineers. That address and MT. Roosevelt's confer ence this morning with his con- gressional advisers-his first in two weeks--may clarify the situation.
 MT. Roosevelt has recovered from a stomach upset that kept him in bed most of last week, but, 1t was learned, he has not started writing his Wednesday speech.
 Some sources doubted that he had ever planned to use the Pan Ameri- can Union meeting as e backdrop to announce new policy.
 Others interpreted the forecasts variously; some wondered whether Mir. Roosevelt might not be waiting further capitalization. of public opin- ion before taking any move in the direction of conveys; others believed he might want to test the effective ness of the extended patrol system and the 100000 ton shipping pool.
 Shipping Bill
 The administrators congressional leaders are placing the utmost ein- phasis on the shipping bill which would allow the president to requisi- ton and pay for foreign ships tied up in American ports. If the coin- merce committee submits its report today or tomorrow Senate Demo- cratic Leader Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky hopes to begin the floor debate by Wednesday or Thursday.
 Sen. Charles w. Tobey, R. N. H., author of the anti.convoy resolution pigeon -holed by the Senate foreign relations committee, has served no- tice that he will offer 1t as an amend ment to the ship bill
 Debate on the Amendment is bound to delay final action on the bill and some observers believed 1t might delay 1t a long time If MT. Roosevelt made any announcement Wednesday that could be interpreted by those opposed to conveys as a hint that he was ready to guarantee the safe passage of vessels bound for Britain.
 When passed the bill will allow the United States to put the idle for- eign vessels into service ct once - probably for American use SC American ships of the same tonnage can be transferred to Britain.
 No Comment On Hoover
 Congressional leaders were not available for comment on former President Hoover's speech last night urging all possible aid for Britain but not conveys; declared that "wt are not already in this war;" ant proposed that if we are going to gel into the war that we "face the straight issue of Q declaration oi war by Congress.
 Non interventionistS criticized Capt. James Roosevelt, the presl- dents eldest son, who was reported in dispatches from Cairo to have said that, except for sending troops, the United States is already in the war.
 Rep. George Holden Tiniham, R., Mass, Q bitter opponent of the pres- ident's foreign policy, challenged the president to submit the question of q declaration of war to Congress and ito abide the Judgment and de- cision of the Congress on this issue"
 Referring to James Roosevelt's re- ported statement, Tinkhan1 said:
 "The time has come when the American people are entitled to have from the president Q truthful and ,inequivocal statement of his own position and his own intent.
 He should either deny and rec pudiate these covert declarations of war by those around him or else he should avow them and be prepared to face the American people with the greatest betrayal of trust in the 1 history of our republic,"