Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-24
Ring Tactics
Keep Axis
In "a Other
Runyon Thinks Roosevelt
Studied Under Tunney
BY DAMON RUNYON

BY DAMON RUNYON
COMETIMES we think Presi-
~ dent Roosevelt must have
studied ring psychology under
one of the great masters like
Gene Tunney or Dave Shade.
Shade was a California mid
dleweight who was around some
years ago and who used to sit
down in his corner, lean back
against the ropes and make
quite a business or crossing his
legs, an action that registered
such complete nonchalance that
his opponent was apt to be
greatly nonplussed.
That fishing trip of Mr.
RooSevelt's. with the. dictators
in a sweat of speculation as to
his next move, is a corker.
Nothing could suggest greater
unconcern. and il is when you
do not seem t. be worried that
the other fellow begins to
worry plenty.
b GENE TUNNEY climbed into
~ an airplane and journeyed
from his training camp in the
Poconos to the scene of his first
battle with Jack Dempsey in
Philadelphia, and as that was in
a day when trips by air were
not so commonplace as they are
now and were considered some
what risky, Dempsey was quite
flabbergasted by Genes appar-
ent GOODNESS.
We say apparent. because ae-
tually Gene felt little nervous.
but the trip was planned for its
psychological effect on Dempsey
and succeeded in no small de-
gree.
Maybe Mr.. Roosevelt would
have gone fishing in any event.
that being his favorite dish at
this season of the year. though
the timing for which he is cele-
brated is not lacking in this
expedition. with reference to its
possible effect not only overseas
but also mere IN the United
States.
Nothing could be more reas-
surfing to the people, especially
as Mr.. Roosevelt is journeying
into waters supposed to be the
lurking places of Axis subs.
MIR. ROOSEVELT has again
IfA and again displayed his I'M
canny sense of timing. He seems
to know just when to say some
thing and just when to do some
thing.
Perhaps il is intuition-the
same intuition that prompts a
great fighter to. deliver the right
punch at exactly the right time,
or great ball player to hit a
ball, or to turn after long run
to catch a fly coming in over his
shoulder.
OF course. Mr.. Roosevelt has
occasionally erred IN his timing.
but his successes far outndmber
his boots. and we do not recall
any notable mistakes of his in
the matter of psychology.
He is far and away the great
est practical politician that ever
sat in the White House. He has
the advantage over most men
who have held his job of know
ing the political game from the
precinct up. He is supposed to
be a great idealist, and probably
is. but we notice that he dis
penses with ideals when it comes
to practical politics
LIE HAD Jim Farley, a great
IL practical politician, at his
elbow for long time. though he
sometimes forgot Jim in the
press of idealistic considerations.
But when Jim left him and a
practical political situation arose,
did Mr.. Roosevelt summon an
idealist?
resi-. He did not. He summoned Ed
Flynn. from the Bronx, a good
looking. dapper fellow who is
about as idealistic about politics
as a wolf is about lambs.
That proved to us that Mr..
Roosevelt is great practical
politician himself. A less prac-
tical politician, under all the
circumstances. would have
wanted an idealist, or at least a
fellow who was not so openly
unidealistic concerning politics
as Flynn And yeu-know- the
final score.
DUT of course when a man be-
- comes President of the United