Like a Ulysses returned from his sea-wanderings, Franklin Roosevelt brought home to the U. S. press (which for the first time in 19 days met him last week aboard the U. S. S. Houston at Balboa, C. Z.) two stories that in Ulysses' day would certainly have been referred to the oracles for interpretation: 1) At Galápagos, on shore leave, seamen from the Houston beheld two huge hawks swooping down upon a herd of wild goats. Each hawk seized a kid in its talons, started to flap away. Hurling stones at the hawks, the sailors made them drop the kids, which they took aboard the Houston as gifts for the U. S. Naval Academy.
2) Trolling for sailfish off Cocos Island, Franklin Roosevelt's lure was fought for by two (maybe three) sailfish at once.
The hook snapped off, but one of the fish (a 100-pounder) became so entangled in Angler Roosevelt's wire leader that the President was able to land it. That day also he landed his heaviest catch to date, a 230-lb. shark, which revenged him somewhat on the Cocos shark tribe for stealing many fish off his hook.* To greet the U. S. President at Balboa came Panama's President Juan Demóstenes Arosemena, bearing a gift of rare Panamanian stamps, a complete album of every issue since 1897, in a casket of polished hardwood. They motored, discussed U. S. aid to help Panama build roads (as a Canal defense measure), lunched with Governor Clarence Ridley of the Canal Zone, rode across the Isthmus in a special train.
After inspecting the military bases, complimenting all hands on the Zone's "smart appearance'' and their own "military bearing," Franklin Roosevelt reboarded the Houston in Gatun Locks.
Next day he fished for the last time this trip, off Providence Island, historic base of piratical Sir Henry Morgan. Thence the Houston weighed anchor for Pensacola, politics and national problems.
¶ Nearing Florida, the Houston's radio picked up a welcome message from Kentucky's Senator "Dear Alben" Barkley: "Looks like my majority will be between 60,000 & 70,000 votes" (see p. 11).
¶ The White House staff announced that the President would not go traveling again until next week, when he receives an honorary degree from Queens University,
Ont., dedicates the Thousand Islands Bridge across the St. Lawrence.
*For news of a major shark robbery last week, see p. 25.