THE PRESIDENCY: Off the Floor

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≫ Putting the world on notice that, if war should break while he was gone, he would instantly summon Congress into special session to revise Neutrality, Franklin Roosevelt left Hyde Park, went down to the sea in the cruiser Tuscaloosa. He rounded Cape Cod, radioed "Well done" to the Squalus salvagers who last week dragged the sunken submarine two miles toward shore until it stuck in an uncharted mud lump. The President proceeded to his mother's place at Campobello Island where, 18 years ago, a ducking in the icy water was followed by the infantile paralysis attack which crippled him. His vacation plan: to cruise off Nova Scotia, try for giant tuna.

At his Campobello cottage, Franklin Roosevelt broke his umptieth precedent, and gave a headache to football fans and turkey-growers by moving Thanksgiving Day up this year from November 30 to November 23.