The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-27

ton in behalf of Alfred Duf Cooper, minister of information, as 8 good friend of Britain"
 He said that when he saw Churchill today he would hand him the letter President Roosevelt ad- dressed in long hand to "a certain naval person.. and gave to Willkie to deliver to the prime minister. He chuckled when the subject was was brought up.
 q think everybody in the United States gave me a letter to Some- body" he said.
 He had no plan to meet Harry Hopkins, President Roosevelt's per- sonal emiSsary in Britain.
 T never had the pleasure of meeting MT. Ho. -, Willkie said, although in America, I knew who he was"
 Also he had no plan to visit con- tinental countries.
 Reiterating his pleasure at being in England, he said: "this reminds me of an American political meet ing, with all the lights and people. am enormously impressed that we can have a press conference in a country under attack. Ask all the questions you want. It really shows Democracy at work"
 In Dorchester Hotel
 Willkie spent the :iignt in a suite in the Dorchester Hotel which was formerly occupied by Lord Halifax the new ambassador to the United States, and Lady Halifax. He dined in the suite last night with members of the American embassy staff and his friends London K. Thorne and John F. Cowles who accompanied him here from America
 He and his friends arrived at west coast town in an American made plane manned by an all- Dutch crew yesterday afternoon after an uneventful flight from Lis bon where they had been deposited by a Pan-American clipper plane. Another plane flew them here. He had conferred with Herschel ". Johnson, charge d'affaires of the American embassy for a half hour soon after his arrival.
 There was no air raid alarm last night and Willkie had a good nights sleep. He was i'll fine fettle for the press, his first business of the day The British correspondents, im- pressed, asked him if all American politicians handled conferences as we'll as he did. One British corre- spondent told an American col league: If Roosevelt is any better, he must be terribly good. He will kie) is what you chaps call great guy"
 A British correspondent asked him if the United States would en- ter the war
 T can't speak on that" Willkie replied. T have no connection with the government in any way. The American people decided that"
 Explaining his reluctance to dis cuss American politics, he said: T am now in another country and though opposed the president in the last campaign, he is my pres idant and the head of my govern ment and shall not engage in any political controversies which he and I are entitled to have within the shores of the United States"
 He hoped to remain in London for the next three or four days and then tour the provinces.
 T want to go to Manchester and see all the industrial centers-those towns that are particularly devas- tated-and as many other places as possible" he said, adding that he hoped also to visit army, navy and air units.
 After the blackout in London last night, Willkie "strolled out into the void a little. It was like walking through a cemetery"
 The scene of the interview was brilliantly illuminated with flood lights for the benefit of movie cam- eramen.
 In response to a question, Will kie said he did not plan to make any formal report to the president or to the Republican party.
 But shall certainty make some speeches. And I hope they read them"
 When he arrived at the ministry, he was greeted by several hundred government employees. The minis try's home guard stood at rigid at tention while he reviewed them with Monckton. Just before the press conference he saw Duff Coop CT to renew an acquaintance begun when Duff Cooper was in the Uni- ted States last year.