Q. E. D.

For five days men of the democracies wondered. The U.S. Government was doing business, if not with Hitler, with one of Hitler's stooges, the opportunist, the Nazi collaborationist, Admiral Jean Franc,ois Darlan. The invasion of North Africa was the first great political-military venture of the U.S. in World War II. Its tone would set the tone for the others to come. How could the U.S. Government, opponent of Fascism, exponent of the Atlantic Charter, explain this? Was not freedom to come in the wake of the Americans? If Norway were invaded, would the U.S. thenceforth move to strengthen the hand of Vidkun Quisling?

There was a further grave question that took the situation deep: What of General Charles de Gaulle, and his legions of Frenchmen who had worked and fought for freedom since June 1940? The U.S. State Department had been consistently sniffish and standoffish toward them; were they still to be ignored?

Some Answers. Steve Early handed the President three typewritten pages of foolscap, heavily interscribed in Franklin Roosevelt's bold hand. To his press conference the President read: "I have accepted General Eisenhower's political arrangements made for the time being in Northern and Western Africa. . . ."

Now came the answers: the word "accepted" clearly meant that General Eisenhower had wisely improvised a solution on the ground which had stopped the fighting short of unnecessary bloodshed. The President went on to describe the arrangement with Admiral Darlan as "temporary," and he used the word "temporary" five times. No permanent alliance arrangement would be made with Darlan. The French Govern ment is to be re-established by the French people themselves "after they have been set free." He had asked, in North Africa, the abrogation of all laws based on Nazi ideology, and the liberation of all persons who had opposed the Nazis. With evident satisfaction he slapped down the final page, said: EQ.E.D.

Irving Brant of the Chicago Sun asked a question that drilled to the nerve of the cavity-like omission in the President's statement: Have you any comment on the position of General de Gaulle? Mr. Roosevelt shook his head, negatively. In after thought he added: He wouldn't worry about it. It's all right. Then, in further afterthought three days later, he received mustached Andre Philip, Minister of Interior for the Fighting French.

De Gaullists were not yet happy. All of the people's questions hadn't been answered. The President had cleared away the underbrush of confusion. But he had not clearly and unmistakably pointed out the direction of the trail to be cut into the future.

Some were reminded of an old Balkan proverb: "In time of great danger, walk with the devil until you have crossed the bridge." Ahead of the U.S. were many bridges, and many devils.

The President also:

> Said that his "foot had slipped once" in permitting announcement of the loss of a U.S. plane carrier in the Solomons eight days before the November elections and before the Japs presumably knew that she had gone down. Public clamor, he said, had led him to announce it then to head off possible later charges that he had with held bad news in view of the elections. The President said this showed that "the conduct of war, with the aim of victory, comes absolutely first."

> Welcomed his wife home from England ; greeted swart, mustached Ecuadorian President Dr. Carlos Alberto Arroyo del Rio, in the U.S. on a state visit.

> Appointed retiring New York Governor Herbert H. Lehman as Director of Foreign Relief & Rehabilitation. To Humanitarian Lehman will fall the job of feeding and clothing people of Axis-conquered countries when they are liberated from their oppressors. His job knows no boundaries save those of the world. And since food has written more peace treaties than statesmen, it will shape the post-war world to a degree no man can yet foresee.

> Said no man should be deferred in the draft just because of Federal employment; when a rush of enlistments followed, he ordered that no Federal employe be al lowed to enlist until his case had been fully considered.

> Asked civilian and military leaders of the Government to a White House prayer service on Thanksgiving Day.

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