Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-04
Knox Speech
Timed BadIy,
Says MaIIon
British Never Needed
Help Less Than Now
by PAUL MALLON
WASHINGTON. LnlN 4

popular movement behind
Navy Secretary Knox ringing
call 10 drive the Nazis from
the Atlantic is that the British
never needed such help less than
at the moment Knox spoke.
Both Nazi air and submarine
activity has declined in the At
lantic TO point where the
British losses are negligible
by comparison with the 10000
tons OF shipping losses per day,
averaged during the war. That
general conclusion is accepted
everywhere here although. of
course. no one except the British
admiralty knows the full details.
British losses were at a peak.
running we'll above the 10000
tons day average until about
six weeks ago. Then German
pl an S were withdrawn in
preparation for the Russian cam
paign and breathing spell has
enSued since.
1t is true. as Mr.. Knox pointed
out. the whole war average of
10000 tons a day far exceeds
our production. now around
5000 tons a day.
But our shipbuilding pro-
gram calls for production far
in excess of even 10000 tons
a day when the program hits
full stride.
TIIE semiofficial explanation
Il of the Knox speech is that
he and his associates have be-
come deeply worried about the
state of American public opinion
since the Russian campaign.
They fear interest in the war
will decline with the shift of
activities fur { h er from our
shores.
They think the breathing
spell will disastrously lessen
enthusiasm for British aid.
Therefore, despite the critical
congressional reaction 10 the
Knox outburst. official agitation
along that line is likely to con-
tinue for the purpose of keeping
popular opinion awake.
All political reports received
here agree the Mississippi VAL
ley area down to Kentucky is
dead-set against war. Prospects
of good harvest with high
farm prices late this Summer,
coupled with farmers fear of
an acute labor shortage if we
enter the war, may work toward
strengthening this opposition
rather than relieving it.
GENERAL WAVELL'S demo-
~ ton to India may turn out
to be a slight elevation when
the facts are known. This British
commander (the only one who
has even been partially success
full in the war so far did make
one tactical mistake in Egypt.
The disposition of his troops
after defeat of the Italian army
was faulty, but not personally
reprehenSible in any way.
His transfer to India is ac-
copied here as a move in aid
of Russia. the import of which
will develop shortly.
GOVERNOR O'DANIEL'S
~ slim margin of 1000 votes
in the Texas primary will be
more than enough. Any recount
canvasSing will be done by the
elections hoard of which he is "A
member, as is Attorney General
Mann who ran third behind the
alert administration candidate,
Rep. Lyndon Johnson.
The politicians around head
quarters here figure O'Daniel's
lead is likely TO increase from
the recount. The original count
ing was in charge of pro-John-
son federal organization men in
populous centers. Also several
almost unanimous Johnson coun-
ties were originally reported in
the Mexican districts.
No one will ever charge that
Mr.. Roosevelt did not do his
best for Johnson. At 10 p. m.
the night before the voting,
johnson made public a telegram
from the President stating that
ODaniel had made a prepos-
ferrous suggestion TO the White
House about raising a Texas
army and navy border patrol.
This suggestion apparently had
been made last January.
The primary merely confirmed
the axiom of politics that a
president cannot successfully in
fluence elections when he is not
running himself. His experi-
encc matches that of Hoover,
Coolidge, and Wilson IN THAI
respect.
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