U.S.A. WAR EFFORT

Grey River Argus, 26 February 1942, Page 5

U.S.A. WAR EFFORT

ROOSEVELT UNDER FIRE. WASHINGTON, February 24. American comment stresses that the most serious lack in Mr Roosevelt’s speech is any examination of the domestic situation, or effort to answer the allegations of delay in achieving the internal organisation necessary for victory. Critics say that the President failed to provide unified command for the military and naval forces, to deal with labour problems, enemy aliens, and fifth columnists, efficiently to organise civilian defence or call into the inner circles of the Government new and more efficient figures. ; Mr Walter Lippmann, who has been an unwavering friend of the President, says: The bottleneck of bottlenecks is in the White House itself, in the inertia and complacency of Mr Roosevelt himself when it is a question of divesting himself from friends who are/ unequal to their task.

LOSS OF" NORMANDIE”. WASHINGTON, February 24. A New York message says that the Chief Fire Marshal, Mr Thomas Brophy, has issued a report on the loss of the Normandie, stating it was definitely proved that, no sabotage was involved. The blaze was caused accidentally by sparks from an acetylene burner igniting bales of kapoc and lifepreservers. <