Evening star., 1942-03-08
War Policies Decided
By President Alone
By ODen L. Scott.


shaping up into small group that con-
sists Of President Roosevelt and three
principal aides. These men hold the real
power and make the decisions that
others then execute. On their ability
and Judgment depends the course of
American action in the war.
Mr.. Roosevelt, definitely, is running
the war. He is making the decisions on
strategy, not the generals or admirals.
He is deciding the questions of world
politics that bulk so large in their in
fluence on the wars trend. His is the
final say on which individuals and which
groups will play major part in the
war effort.
One man cannot make all of the de-
cisions and carry all of the load. AS his
key assistant, the President has chosen
Harry Hopkins. Mr.. Hopkins is trusted
implicitly by President Roosevelt. He
lives at the White House and although
not In good health, accomplishes great
amount Of work. The power he wields
in determining the direction of flow of
American war materials and in deciding
which individuals are to hold key jobs is
immense. The two top jobs are those
involving exercise of power over prices
and the distribution of goods and the
power over American industry.
Leon Henderson, close friend OF
Harry Hopkins and formerly his eco
! nomic adviser in W. P A., holds the first
OF these jobs. Mr.. Henderson's powers
in
part from the new price control law
that he administers and in part from
his friendship with Mr.. Hopkins, who,
In turn, Is very close to the President.
1t is this friendship that had much to
do with the selection Of the third man
in the real war cabinet
The third member is Donald Nelson,
who heads the War Production Board
and who holds dictatorial powers over
American industry Mr.. Nelson Is an old
friend of Leon Henderson and owes his
present position, in important part, to
the recognition by Mr.. Henderson Of his
ability.
This, then, is the closely knit little
group that really runs the war effort.
1t is group that, except for Mr.. Nelson,
carries very strong New Deal viewpoint.
Yet, throughout, it is group that from
the first has been right in its appraisal
Of the course Of the war and of the de-
mands that war would make upon the
United States. Every one in the group
is ready to be ruthless in the exercise Of
power If that is what the war requires.
The temporizing policies of previous
leaders get no support from those who
now control.
But what of the military leaders and
of the regular members OF the Presidents S
ordinary cabinet?
AS for the military leaders. Mr.. Roose-
welt is in constant contact with Gen.
| George c. Marshall, who runs the Army
and with Admirals Ernest King and
Harold Stark who run the Navy. He
receives their advice. He respects their
| judgment. But the President makes the
decisions. He really is this country's uni
fed command at the very top. If issues
arise between the Army and Navy, he
resolves them. If there is argument over
whether the Army or Navy should have
priority or over the distribution of arms
between the forces of foreign nations
and the United States. Mr.. Roosevelt
| decides the argument.
AS for the cabinet. individual members
WELD power and influence in their par
ticular fields. AS group, however, the
President depends relatively little upon
| IHCTney1t Spl-
dom influences decisions of major i'm
portance. Cabinet members, like gen.
erals and admirals, can offer their sug-
| gestions and advice and can even argue,
but President Roosevelt does the decid-
ing. Among cabinet members the most
influential are Jesse Jones and Henry L.
Stimson.
What then of the policies Of Mr.
Roosevelt and his war cabinet?
In economic policy, the attitude Is
rather New Dealish. Here advanced
viewpoints and young men get their
chance. There definitely is an attitude
that the friendship of organized labor
is basic to any successful waging OF the
present war. Money and money power
carry far less weight Management Is
respected and its cooperation is sought
The President insists that the position
of workers in relation to other groups
in the population must be improved. he
notes this trend even in the conservative
government Of England.
In military policy, the President Is
definite conservative. He shows little
confidence in young leaders, in sharp
contrast to his attitude in fields OF eco
nonic control. The generals and ad-
mirals on whom he depends are all near
the retirement age. The President prloes
himself upon his ability as strateglst
and this ability was gained in the last
war and is based upon the ideas of the
last war. Mr. Roosevelt, in other WORDS,
is like most Of this country's top-ranking
military and naval leaders in his look
backward to the good old days when the
lessons learned in youth still could be
applied. 1t was we'll along in 1910 when
the President strongly discounted in
press conference the influence OF the
airplane on naval warfare and took his
stand firmly for big battleships and
questioning attitude toward the ef1ec-
tivenesS of aircraft.
There are signs that Mr.. Roosevelt
now has a somewhat different attitude
toward the Importance of aircraft IN
naval warfare However. there are no
signs that the American Navy is con-
vinced of the importance of the plane
as powerful offensive weapon or that
vi, Uoira in naval