Face Saved

Events and people played into Franklin Roosevelt's hands last week in such a way as to restore to him, for the time being, much of the prestige and composure he lost last fortnight when Congress blew up in his face. Congress continued blowing up: it reduced to hash his Great White Rabbit of 1939 (the Spend-Lend Bill). But Great Britain's concessions to Japan in China, plus educative efforts by Republican Senator Vandenberg, paved the way for denunciation by the Administration of the 1911 trade & navigation treaty with Japan. Gallup polls showing 51% of the voters in favor of clamping down on war materials for Japan assured Mr. Roosevelt that this was a popular thing to do. His own bent in international power politics made it desirable. He was glad to get out of the public doghouse.

>Besides signing a D. S. M. award for Admiral Yarnell last week, the President held a surprise party in his office, pinned a D. S. M. (voted by Congress) on Admiral William Daniel Leahy, retiring this week as Chief of Operations to become Governor of Puerto Rico.

>Senator Hatch of New Mexico called on Mr. Roosevelt to discuss with him, section by section, the new "Act to prevent pernicious political activities" which would hamstring the Roosevelt national political machine as well as take politics out of Relief (TIME, July 31). After their talk, Mr. Roosevelt, taking care not to imply that he would veto the act, ridiculed it as vague, unenforceable. Might a Federal employe affected by the bill attend a political rally? he asked. If his good friend were running for office, might that employe sit on the platform? Make a supporting speech? A voluntary contribution? In reply, Senator Hatch patiently reminded people (and the President) that all such questions are already answered by Civil Service regulations, whose language he used verbatim in his act (Attorney-General Murphy last week informally opined it was Constitutional). Net answer: Federal employes may participate in politics except as officers of political organizations or delegates to conventions--which doesn't leave much.

>To replace Paul Vories McNutt as High Commissioner to the Philippines, President Roosevelt last week made a nonpolitical, career appointment. He named Woodrow Wilson's scholarly, rufous son-in-law, Assistant Secretary of State Francis Bowes Sayre, 54. Criminal law was Professor Sayre's course at Harvard Law School. Counseling King Rama VI of Siam on foreign relations (1923-25) gave him grounding in Oriental affairs, King Rama called him "Phya Kalyam Maitri" (The Beautiful in Friendship). Lately he has worked with Secretary Hull on reciprocal trade treaties, with Senator Tydings on the act to cushion the Philippines' severance from the U. S. in 1946. His salary will jump from $9,000 to $18,000 (plus fat perquisites).

>At "The Jackspot," a shoal 22 miles off Ocean City, Md., fishermen last week repeatedly broke the record for numbers of white marlin boated in one day out of one port. From 41 the record leaped to 73, to 123. Fisherman Franklin Roosevelt had his sea gear loaded aboard the Potomac, sped to "The Jackspot" for the weekend. Trolling from the Potomac's stern, while men all around him caught marlin, Mr. Roosevelt got skunked.

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