The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-01-30

agreeable TO newspapermen. You
may understand his impotence
with the news photographers. They
certainly are relentless crowd
when they're after a score Of shots
OF a celebrity. Indy, however.
hitherto has tree ted the camera
cohorts with lots more than their
average subjects discourtesy. Nat
urally they've not felt too kindly
toward him.
And when he came out as a
European peacemaker- by-negotia-
ton he aroused the ire of all the
strongly pro-British folk in con-
gress and our governmentally ex-
ecutive set-ups. They said they
recognized him as the worlds
champion aviator. but what he
didn't know ABOUT international re-
lationships, they added, would fill
a huge library.
On his latest visit to the capital.
though, for some reason or other
Charley was nice to the reporters
and most accommodating to the
picture takir aggregation. He
posed as requested. smiled when
asked to do so and behaved gen.
orally as if he positively enjoyed
the boys attentions.
Good Witness
rz,,.tt,nr,,,ora ha rra,,aJ 10 he a
corking good witness before the
representatives committee. Anti
isolation members had expected to
grill him mercilessly as an appeas-
er and to make him ridiculous by
involving him in a discussion of
international politics. concerning
which they were confident he was
profoundly ignorant and conse-
quently would express himself fool
ishly.
To their deep disappointment he
kept his temper perfectly. He
didn't profess to be an interna-
tional political authority of any
great. conse quence. The nub of has
testimony was that the Axis, If it
wins the war. can't do US any con-
siderable damage on our Pan
American side of the Atlantic and
that we and England. put together,
can. pull off a successful offensive
against the Axis.
OF course an Axis landing or
Pan-American soil or an Anglo.
American invasion Of continental
Europe would have to be preceded
by an oceanic crossing. That would
be a naval operation and Charley's
no naval expert any more than he's
a shark at internationalisni.
Indy Proves Smart
But he was too crafty to be
trapped into the naval issue 1ext
cept in connection with aviatfon's
potentialities, and aviation, as pre-
vously remarked. is a subject he's
fully qualified to have an opinion
on.
He gave II as his Judgment,
which ought to be pretty final as
to airmanship. that a country can't
be conquered by planes alone; the
flyers have got to have surface
forces move. by land or sea. right
in underneath EN-, to occupy the
terrain that the aviators have been
scooting over.
To illustrate his point he re-
ferred to what's already happened
in Europe. Aviation alone. he re-
minded the representatives CON-
mittee. didn't allow Germany to
grab Denmark, Norway. Holland,
Belgium or the Gernanized part
Of France; troops had to follow
And look at England. added Indy:
planes have raised hades there. but
they haven't licked the English,
have they?
II England Loses
Well, suppose the Germans, II
victorious over Britain. which
Indy thinks they never will be
should undertake some grabbing in
Pan-America; they'd have to ferry
a big army across the oceans sur.
face to take possession All, yes
but while planes can't land enough
men tn a country 10 vanquish II
they're quite competent to destroy
a deet Of arrivinR transporta r.