Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-11-17
u. 6. Builds
Naval Base
In Ireland
Officially for British Use
America VIII Benefit
BY PAUL MALLON

/
public may soon discover
this country has large naval
base in Northern Ireland.
About 500 American naval
officers and workmen have been
constructing il for several
months. near Londonderry, in no
particular secrecy. The official
explanation has been that they
were working for the British.
But they have been using Amer
lean materials under lend-lease
arrangements.
When throug h conveying
starts. such an American base
on British soil will be advan-
tageous in repair. refueling and
perhaps air protection TO Ameri-
can ships. "a naval air base no
doubt adjoins)
Naturally. no official author
ity here will comment on this
extremely delicate subject. yet
now that the neutrality wraps
are off officially il may be dis
covered that we have wisely
been building this one all the
time for ourselves.
MIR. ROOSEVELT at once
1V1 shriveled against inquiries
as TO what he intends TO do
now that all legal restraints of
the Neutrality Act have been re-
moved, but official evidence Of
his intentions is available.
Day before the vote, doubtful
Representative Casey of Massa-
chusetts visited the White House
in such extreme secrecy that
attaches denied he was there.
Afterwards Casey made a House
speech favoring FDR, predicting
the President would convoy to
England.
1t is inefficient for us to con-
voy $500 miles from Boston or
New York to Iceland and then
turn over the ships to the Brit
iSh for the other 600 miles, he
implied the President believes.
THE political compression
l. which Mr.. Roosevelt i'm
posed upon the House to get
repeal across went as high as
any gauge has registered be-
fore. Without il, his war policy
would have been dismally de-
feated.
Six Democrats came to oppo-
sition leader James p. Richards
of South Carolina just before
the vote and said the air was
getting too close for them. They
had intended to vote against
Mr.. Roosevelt but turned up
on the aye side in the roll call.
Thirty-six hours before the
vote. Speaker Rayburn slipped
down to the White House with
a list of Is doubtful Democrats
upon whom the President pre-
sumably was to work. What
ever DIR did, no one will ever
know, but only eight on the list
stuck TO their opposition guns
seven went over to FDR's
side.
The West Virginia delegation
went down to the White House,
accompanying its two senators.
to see Mr.. Roosevelt about a
minor state matter. When they
went into the Presidents office,
they stood 4 to 2 in his favor.
When they came out, they were
) TO for him.
THE usual rumor that some
Il judgeships were promised In
the backstage debate have been
around town; as usual they bear
no proof.
One Roosev supporter,
Charles A. Leavy of Washing
ton, who had recently been APP
pointed federal Judge by the
President, delayed his resigna-
ton from the House in order to
vote for the administration. His
lettering was offset, however.
when another recent Roosevelt
Judge appointed. Representative
Smith of Connecticut, remained
at home and did not vote.
Time may tell that a Massa-
chusetts Democrat. who sudden
~ changes his mind. will get
iudgeship for his wisdom. but
you will have to wait for time.
The most penetrating COM
preston was the buttonholing
argument used by Speaker Ray
burn land presumably also by
Mr. Roosevelt. although the
President could not be over
heard).
! Rayburn asked each doubter
what would happen if Roose-
velt's war policy was upset. He
then Immediately answered his
own question by picturing Japan
moving deeper into Mayala and
the Dutch East Indies. He pre-
dicted war accompanied by a
tremendous loss of American
prestige throughout the world.
While the war vision seemed
overdrawn to some, there was
enough truth in the rest of Ray
burns argument TO swing the
victory.
DEPUBLICANS are every
~ where murmuring they had