PRESIDENT’S SPEECH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24851, 26 February 1942, Page 5

PRESIDENT’S SPEECH

REACTION IN AMERICA CRITICAL COMMENT WASHINGTON, Feb. 24. American comment stresses that the most serious lack in President Roosevelt’s speech is any examination of the domestic situation or any effort to answer allegations of delay in achieving the internal organisation necessary for victory. Critics say that the President failed to provide a unified command for the military and naval forces, to deal with labour problems, enemy aliens, and “Fifth Columnists.” efficiently to organise civilian defence, or to call into the inner circles of the Government new and more efficient figures. Mr Walter Lippman, 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 President Roosevelt himself when it is a question of divesting himself of authority and detaching himself from friends who are unequal to their task.” WASHINGTON IMPRESSED FEELING OF REASSURANCE (Rec. 9 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 24. Opinion in Washington appeared to be considerably impressed and perceptibly heartened by President Roosevelt’s report to the nation on the progress of the war effort. It produced a feeling of reassurance in all branches of the Government and a measurable lessening of the criticism which has been directed at the Administration from Congress during the past few weeks. Particularly encouraging were three phases:— 1. The President’s reiteration of his former assurance that, good or bad, full and truthful information will be made to the public, consistent with military security. 2. His unqualified assertion that the all but impossible production goals he had set for planes, tanks, and ships will be achieved. 3. The determination he voiced to prevent interference with the production programme by organised Labour or other sources.

Congressional reaction to the speech was favourable to a marked degree. A typical example was the comment by the Republican leader in the House of Representatives, Mr J. W. Martin, who said it was comforting to hear the President’s assurance that progress in production and superiority in armaments can be achieved by America’s great industrial machine, and that with this we will win the war. Mr Martin also applauded Mr Roosevelt’s assurance that we will soon be taking the offensive. He voiced the opinion that the appeal for unity and sacrifice will find a whole-hearted response from the American people. At a press conference the Pr; lent was asked to elaborate on the portion of his speech in which he made references to the difficulty of getting aid to the embattled American forces on the Batan Peninsula. He replied that if they could tell him how to get bombers to Batan, General Douglas MacArthur could have the bombers.

A reporter asked if the planes could not be flown in, to which the Presi-, dent shrugged his shoulders and asked, “ Land on what? ” The President tacitly warned against speculation when asked for his comment on the indications from recent stories that General MacArthur is at odds with the Army High Command on the question of reinforcements.