The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-04-01
U.s.. MIGHT AVERT
WAR, FDR THOUGHT
President Told Senator
Bailey In August, 1941,
Of Peace Hope

WASHINGTON, March BLUR
AS late as August, 1941, the late
d President Roosevelt was optimistic
over his chances of keeping the
United States out of the European
war, Senator Josiah w. Bailey, re-
called Sunday night.
In an interview as the first an
niversary Of the war Presidents
death neared, he said that Mr..
Roosevelt, far from being a war
monger, had bent every effort
toward keeping this country iso-
lated from Hitler's war. He also
said, on the basis of several pre-
war White House talks, that Mr..
Roosevelt doubted that Japan would
fight the United States; that at best
she would have only certain
nuisance value as beligerent
outside China.
Favored Neutrality Act
In October, 1889, Bailey said, he
called at the White House and the
President asked him to make
speech favorable to the proposed
Neutrality Act. He said he told the
President he was not at that time
convinced that he favored the legis-
lation.
At that meeting the President
pointed to a so-called combat zone
within the confines of which he be-
lieved the European war could be
held. The imaginary line ran rough
ly from Norfolk, Va, to Lisbon,
Portugal on the south. It's northern
limits were from Portland, Me-, to
Norway at the entrance to the Bal
tic sea.
"No Fighting There
- IT pointed out to the President
that his southern boundary exclud-
ed the Mediterranean area" Bailey
said. ''He replied that there will be
no fighting there
His belief was that the fighting
could be contained in that combat
zone and that he could keep this
country out of the conflict"
In mid February, 1871, he made
another visit to the White House,
this time to present to Mr.. Roose-
welt North Cardinals new Cover
nor, j. NJ Broughton. That visit
occurred day or so after Bailey,
in a Senate speech for lend-lease,
had projected the probability that
sooner or later the United States,
too, would be in the war.
1.-The President congratulated me
on my speech, but he said I had
gone too far in predicting our own
entry into the war Bailey said
'He told Governor Broughton and
myself that there was not the re-
hottest danger of our being in
volved in the fighting"
No Jap Difficulty
Bailey said he had called Mr.
Roosevelt's attention to Japan, but
that the Chief Executive had res
ponded that there would be no diff
Guilty in keeping Japan out Of the
conflict.
''He said that from time to time,
the Japanese will be of some nuis-
ance value, but that is ALL Bailey
added. He thought that the United
States would be able to keep out
of the war under any circun-
stances"
The Senator said that in August,
1871, Governor Broughton called on
him prior to keeping White House
appointment. Bailey, who had not
seen the President in some time,
suggested that the North Carolina
executive sound Mr.. Roosevelt out
on what he then thought our
chances were for avoiding war.
"Broughton told me when he
came back from the White House
that he had found the President just
as optimistic as ever that he could
keep us out of the war;" he said.
During the October, 1889, meet
ing, Bailey said, he pointed out to
the war President that a war exist
ed between Japan and China, and
that combat zone should be drawn
for that area. But Mr.. Roosevelt
replied that there was no war there
because there is no declaration of
war"
The President believed that the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
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