THE PRESIDENCY: International Shift

While Europe with shaking knees found itself last week on the brink of war (see p. 17), and foreign statesmen hoped that a firm U. S. attitude would help avert it, President Roosevelt performed change of face as sudden, though perhaps not as effective, as that which upset the World Monetary & Economic Conference in 1933. Apparently fearing that his and Secretary Hull’s recent, repeated condemnations of autarchies and aggressors too definitely aligned the U. S. with England and France if Germany provoked a war, Mr. Roosevelt suddenly lashed out at “some” U. S. editors and columnists. He said their interpretations were politically warped, entirely wrong.

Specifically he cited a report that Ambassador Bullitt had said fortnight ago in Bordeaux, France, that the U. S. stands with France “in war as in peace.” Mr. Bullitt denied saying that, said the President. Mr. Roosevelt told the press to reread his and Secretary Hull’s recent utterances. Next day Mr. Hull made public a letter, accepting Peru’s invitation to the eighth Pan-American Conference (at Lima, December), saying:

“The nations of the world are faced with the issue of determining whether relations shall be characterized by international anarchy and lawlessness or by principles of fair play, justice and order under law. No nation and no government can avoid the issue; neither can any nation avoid participation, willing or not, in the responsibility of determining which course of action shall prevail.”

Putting Mr. Roosevelt’s and Mr. Hull’s remarks together, observers could only conclude: 1) that the U. S. is indeed morally aligned against Germany; 2) that President Roosevelt, again putting domestic issues above international problems, is anxious to keep opponents from charging in this fall’s campaign that the Administration is heading the U. S. toward war.

¶ As far as Roosevelts were concerned, man-of-last-week was a 36-year-old surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Minn.—Dr. Howard Kramer (“Howdie”) Gray, son of Vice Chairman Carl Gray of the Union Pacific R. R. and Harriette Flora Gray, the Golden Rule Foundation’s Mother-of-the-Year for 1937 (TIME. May 3, 1937). Perennial president of his Princeton class (1923), as famed in college for his unobtrusive Christianity as for his athletic ability (varsity football end), this model son of model parents is recognized by the Doctors Mayo as their crack stomach surgeon. Because Son James Roosevelt’s stomach ulcer failed to respond to rest and diet last summer (TIME, Aug. 22) he returned to the clinic last week. “Howdie” Gray was named to operate. President Roosevelt called for his special train and sped westward. After talking with the President. Dr. Gray moved the operation ahead 24 hours.

With White House Physician Ross McIntire standing by, he opened James Roosevelt’s stomach, removed the ulcer, hitched the intestine to the back wall of the stomach to help it function better while the wound healed, sewed James Roosevelt up again. Afterwards, because of the public importance of his patient, Surgeon Gray consented to a thing unprecedented at Mayo Clinic: a press conference. He stated that the ulcer was benign (non-cancerous), that its awkward position (high, near the esophagus) had protracted the operation (1 hr. 45 min.,), that the patient was responding normally. Able, modest Surgeon Gray blushed profusely when Dr. Mclntire described his work as “a very excellent job under difficult circumstances.”

¶ Political dopesters watched hawk-eyed as Franklin Roosevelt traveled to Minnesota. Before the President started, Minnesota’s Governor Elmer Benson had appeared at Hyde Park. After the President arrived, the Governor spent more time with him. Mr. Benson’s objects were obvious: 1) to let the wheat farmers of his State see him trying to do something about their bumper-crop plight; 2) if possible to get the Head of the Democratic Party to withdraw the Democratic State ticket in Minnesota, as he did in 1936, so that Mr. Benson and his fellow Farmer-Laborites could beat the Republicans. Eventual (1940) coalition with his Liberals of all willing followers, regardless of party name, is known to be Mr. Roosevelt’s major strategy. In the Northwest, this strategy is complicated by the friendly relations between Governor Benson and Governor Philip La Follette of neighboring Wisconsin, whose projected national Progressive Party has a sharply anti-Roosevelt twist. Only clue to the possibility of a deal was given earlier in the week: before his operation, Son James Roosevelt roundly denounced as a forgery a letter purporting to come from him endorsing Democratic Candidate Thomas E. Gallagher for the governorship.

¶ After a visit to Hyde Park by Attorney General Cummings, a boss Democrat in Connecticut, the press was given to understand that Connecticut’s Senator Lonergan, who voted against the Court Bill and Reorganization, was sure of renomination at next week’s State convention; that the President’s Purge, so far as the 1938 primaries is concerned, would end after its efforts to beat Georgia’s George, Maryland’s Tydings (see p. 13) and New York’s O’Connor (see p. 14), By way of contradiction a new report promptly nominated a new Purgee, declared that Paul V. McNutt had been asked to resign as High Commissioner in the Philippines because of Roosevelt displeasure at 1) the failure of his Indiana machine to purge Senator Van Nuys, and 2) Boss McNutt’s Presidential ambitions. In Manila, Boss McNutt denied his resignation had been demanded.