Washington, July 3.
President Roosevelt's hope that i America can stay out of the war, expressed at his press conference on j Tuesday, supplied the background to the press conference of Colonel Knox, the Navy Secretary, today, in the light of his recent urgent appeal for action, be At his press conference today Colonel' Knox stated emphatically that no United States vessel on Atlantic patrols had been used for convoy purposes nor become involved in combat and that there had been no loss of life among crews or loss of equipment.
Questioned about Congress criticism. of his demand that America should sweep the Nazi menace from the Atlantic, Colonel Knox refused tosay anything further but admitted that he certainly held to what he had said.
The more responsible editorial writers. are worried, and' say so frankly and without hesitation.
Mr, Arthur Krock, veteran Washington correspondent of the "New York Times," "says that on the surface it appears thát a member of the Roosevelt Cabinet is publicly advocate ing a policy contrary to his chief's—calling for a wr which the President hopes to avert. This is criticism to the point of insubordination, the writer asserts,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.