Evening star., 1943-04-29

\, D. G., THURSDAY
fighter plane factory at Evansville,
Ind, building P-47 Thunderbolts
and demonstrations OF how they
fire and how they fly.
April 28-Saw the Army show of
the tremendous offensive power of
an armored division with tanks,
artillery, planes and infantrymen
using live ammunition.
Improvement in Service.
The deepest impression which Mr..
Roosevelt brought back to Wash
ington was one of a vast improve
ment In the armed forces, since he
made a similar tour last September,
accompanied by an encouraging ac-
celeration in the production of the
munitions they need on the combat
fronts.
AS on that former trip, he re-
turned critical of Washington. He
said he had found that the country
as a whole had better perspective
on the war and better sense of pro-
portion than the National Capital.
Speaking to representatives of the
three major news services at q press
conference aboard his special train,
the President said the whole temper
of the country was more sober and
far more intelligent than the atti-
tude of good part OF Washington.
The people generally, he said, not
only are in the war but also under
stand it. They do not follow WASH
ington's example, he said, and, as
he put it, magnify something OF
10th degree of importance and put
1t on front pages.
Contrast With Capital.
Furthermore, he declared, the
tendency in the rest of the country,
which he said is in contrast with
the Capital, is to evaluate correctly
and give the right relative i'm
portance to world events and the
progress of actual fighting.
Mr.. Roosevelt made no formal
speeches on the second half of his
journey. Several times he spoke
informally and he told reporters he
thought he was about right when
he asserted at Fort Riley that the
Army had been going through it's
growing pains in the last few
months, but now has grown up.
The improvement could be seen
not only in the troops themselves,
he said. but also in the housekeep-
Ing IN the Army-in the things it
wears and eats.
Has Greater Confidence.
Asked whether he had, as a result
OF his inspections, "any greater
confidence IN the new moves to
come in Europe" the Chief Execu-
tive replied in the affirmative.
He said, too, he thought the coun-
try was catching onto the advan-
tages of the training which men
and women are getting in the serv-
ice, as well as in war industries.
He commented on a marked gain
IN their health and physical we'll
being and on the way a portion of
them who missed much of their for
NAL schooling are now learning
reading, writing and arithmetic as
well as skilled trades.
When you see all the tremendous
camps, with a capacity of maybe
3,000,0 900 or 1000, 900 men, the Presi-
dent asserted, you can't help won-
dering what will happen to them
when the war is won and whether
some type of training should con-
tinue, partly to avoid a net loss of
equipment on which millions have
been spent.
OF his talks with President Avila
Camacho, the Chief Executive de-
clared that he and the Mexican
President had seen eye to eye. He
said he thought the Mexican Presi-
dent understands our needs and
we understand his a great deal bet
ter than ever before. ~
Asked whether he had discussed
the rationing program with the
Governors he met, Mr.. Roosevelt
asserted that he had not received
single complaint OF q serious
nature. In two or three places, he
said, he; inquired how food ration
ing was coming along. The Cove
ernors took the position, he related,
that there always are q few people
who kick about anything and always
some local situations that have to
be ironed out, but that rationing
generally was being well received.
He spoke at his press conference,
also, of the value of modification
centers at which improvements can
be made in planes after their manu-
facture has begun from original
plans The result, he said, is that
there is no slowing up Of mass pro-
duction.
He was impressed with the fact
that some plane plants which de-
pend on other factories, like the
Ford Willow Run plant in Detroit,
for parts and sub-assemblies, now
get them in bigger volume than they
did last fall.
AS for more inspection trips in the
future, the Chief Executive said he
didn't know, but that probably he
could make 10 others and still not
see the entire war effort.
Although his movements were sup
posed to be military secret after he
left Corpus Christi, the President