I saw the President [1] today. He said he wanted to keep 'up his
sleeve' for the present proposal to send some United States
warships on trip to Australia and elsewhere.

The President said he had called off the normal autumn manoeuvres
in the Pacific for the present so that he would have free hand a
little later to send any part of the fleet where he wanted,
[which] [2] could be called ['manoeuvres'].

Regarding staff conversations the President emphasized the
undesirability of anything interpretable as commitment or indeed
any publicity regarding collaboration on defence questions.

However he agreed at once with proposal for Commodore Boucher [3]
to fly here and he suggested it should be ostensibly to
investigate and expedite Australian orders in the United States in
respect of Australian naval requirements. If he can get here and
have private talks on naval matters of mutual interest without any
publicity at all, so much the better. The President desires that
he does not arrive here before 5th November.

The President said he had asked the British Ambassador [4] to say
to Churchill that he hoped and prayed that no part of the British
fleet would get caught and 'bottled up' in the Mediterranean and
suggested for their consideration that substantial units (he said
'say up to eight capital ships with some cruisers and a few
destroyers') of the British Navy should reinforce Singapore before
long. He mentioned the new British battleships that would be
commissioned in the next few months and said he could not see that
there was much function for capital ships in North Atlantic waters
in present circumstances.

He said by January they would have completed fitting of
demagnetization equipment to all units of the United States Navy
in the Pacific to make them more or less immune from danger from
magnetic mines. Ships have been returning to San Diego in batches
for the purpose.

The number of supply and ammunition ships from the United States
mainland to Hawaii had already been much increased. It is believed
that this fact will become known to the Japanese.

The President said he had it in mind, if the British Empire got
into war with Japan before the United States, to institute two
lines of naval aircraft patrol with the object of keeping informed
of all movements of Japanese vessels. The northern of these patrol
lines would be roughly on line of present Clipper service Hawaii
to Philippines, and southerly patrol would be Hawaii to Samoa from
which place he hoped we would carry it on to Australia or New
Guinea.

I subsequently called on Colonel Knox, the Secretary of the Navy,
who said he would like to have his officers talk privately and
confidentially with Boucher.

He also mentioned northern and southern patrol lines ((i)
Honolulu-Philippines and (2) Honolulu-Samoa-Fiji-Noumea-Thursday
Island-Singapore) with light fast naval craft and aircraft. With
reference to the southern line he spoke of Australia patrolling
north-west from Noumea and United States north-east from Noumea.

Speaking completely confidentially Knox, whom I have got to know
quite well, said there was no doubt in his mind that Roosevelt
would win election and that once the election was over many things
could and would be done that could not be done now. He is very
much on our side and has intense antipathy to Japanese. [1] called
on the Secretary of State. [5] He said stopping of shore leave for
the Navy was a gesture they were keeping 'on ice.' I gathered
there was discussion on whether the United States should cut off
silk imports from Japan or recommend their nationals to evacuate
the Far East and decided on the latter. Presumably silk sanction
is still possibility.

I emphasized fear of Japanese getting [privileges in] Thailand
potential[ly] dangerous to Singapore. The Secretary of State said
they had found it impossible to get Thailand to heed United States
warnings.

Please advise me about Boucher. He might bring all major
information about New Zealand as well as Australian air
information. I suggest he travel as Mister with no uniform. We
would be glad if he would stay with us. I suggest not sending
military officer at present. Presumably I can get Goble [6] here
if required.

CASEY