Evening star., 1941-04-18
T obey
Continued From First page.)

ships for about one month. His
ship was one of the conveys. If
tell you the name of the ship or the
lads name, would perhaps get him
in trouble. He has been worried anc
thinks someone should know.
HE says that they in the service
know that the Presidents delay on
the subject of convoying-the put
off as he expresses it's because II
is secretly going on.
st trust you to use this informa-
ton as you see fit, and only wish
could have given more details"
AS a further exhibit to support the
convoy charges, Senator Tobey told
of another letter marked Con-
fidential' from Pennsylvania
businessman, alleging an uniden-
titled ensign in the Navy called his
fiancee to New York hurriedly to
bid him good-by. telling her his
ship was being ordered out "on
convoy duty
Quotes Investigator.
Earlier, the New Hampshire Sena-
tor quoted Government in
vestigator, well known to me-" as
having advised him yesterday he
"had information from within the
Maritime Commission that conveys
are being secretly employed at this
time" A few days ago, the Senator
declared, Rear Admiral Emory S.
Land, chief OF. the commission, came
out in favor of conveys.
Senator Tobey, who several weeks
ago introduced a resolution seeking
to put Congress on record against
use of conveys, began by reading
the telegram he sent to the White
House last night, seeking to draw
the President into a public dis
cussion of the question.
Commenting on the letters, Sen
ator Tobey continued:
Because this naval man has had
the courage and honesty to report
a situation which holds in the bal
ance the lives of millions of Ameri-
cans and because revelation of
OllC VI Ills ICldl1NC WIN W1OIC
this letter would, in all likelihood,
lead to his identity with the posi-
bility of prejudice to his position in
the Navy, am keeping faith with
this woman who wrote the letter by
eliminating her name and address
from the letter. If committee of
the Senate desires to hold hear
ings to investigate this matter and
will give assurance that, this mans
identity will not become known to
his superiors, I will be very GLAD,
under such an arrangement, to
make his identity available to such
committee.
PENNSYLVANIA Letter Read.
"Mr. President, this morning re-
ceived a letter from a Pennsylvania
businessman marked confidential.
It reads as follows:
April Is, 1941, Senator Charles
w. Tobey, Washington, D. C.
"'Dear Sir:
"'Have read with much interest
where Senator Barkley took you to
task for intimating the President
was going to have the Navy do con-
voy duty without the knowledge of
the people and Congress of this
country.
Your suspicion that Roosevelt
would slyly order convoy of British
vessels with our Navy, is not a myth
but fact. A young lady from one
Af fl1a iiaVs DlNiln Inl -
phia, was hurriedly called to New
York City by her fiance so he could
see her before the ship sailed. This
man is an ensign in the United
States Navy and he told the young
lady to come to New York at once
as his ship left at certain time
this week and that his ship was
ordered out on convoy duty
Mr.. President, it is serious
thing when the responsible officials
of our Government, including our
national leader. remain uninforma-
tive on this matter, which is so preg-
nant with danger to the millions of
American people. 1t is a danger to
the American people when the con-
voy plans are drawn up In secret
and there are hidden maneuverings
to conceal from the people actions
which are of such grave Importance
to the people. 1t is an incredible at
titude for the President to laugh in
the face of the peoples justified re-
quest for information-for him to
say, in the first instance, that con-
voys mean shooting and shooting
means war, and in the second in
stance that the subject is too ridicu-
lous for him to talk about-and in
the third instance that ne knows
more about the subject than the
rest of the people but does not
choose to enlighten them"
Senate Recesses Until Tuesday.
The Senate recessed shortly after
the Barkley- Tobey tilt and will not
be in session until noon Tuesday.
Meanwhile Senator Willis, Repub-
lican, of Indiana announced he
would support ANY immediate legis-
lation which has as its objective the
prevention of the use of American
naval strength for convoy purposes. "
II believe now," Senator Willis
said in statement, that providing
conveys for munitions or other sup
plies would be the last step in the
direction of participation in actual
hostilities."