Evening star., 1935-12-26
PRESIDENT BEGINS
WRITING MESSAGE
Indicates Intention of Fol-
lowing Custom of Holding
to Brevity.
BY 7. RUSSELL YOUNG.

bI y. hUSSELL 1OUNO.
President Roosevelt today began
writing his annual message, to be sub
mitted to Congress shortly after it
meets a week from tomorrow, as an
accounting of the state of the Union"
and a catalogue of the legislation he
wants enacted at this session.
Mr. Roosevelt entered on this task
after enjoying an old d-fashioned Christ
mas with four generations Of his
family about him in the White House.
To avoid Interruptions, the Presi-
dent is writing in his private study
on the second floor of the White
House. He said he would not go to
his desk in the executive Office before
tomorrow.
COnfers on Budget.
At noon Mr.. Roosevelt conferred
with Daniel Bell, acting director of
the Budget Bureau, on some Of the
unfinished details Of the 1867 budget,
which the President will transmit to
Congress shortly after sending his
annual message. The President will
compose the budget message after he
has finished his annual message.
Mr.. Roosevelt indicated today he
intended to follow his custom Of max
ing his message as brief as possible.
His first one, in December, 1888, con-
tanned only about 800 words.
Most of the presidential messages
in the past several decades had con-
tanned anywhere from two to seven
thousand words. 1t has been the
Roosevelt custom to mention only
briefly the important legislative mat
ters and to send subsequent special
messages dealing with each legislative
subject in which he is interested.
Program to Be Brief.
Mr.. Roosevelt has indicated his leg
islative program for the coming ses-
sion will be brief, and that his aim
will be to do everything possible to
encourage a short session of Congress.
His intimates venture to predict Con-
eress will be in a position to close
shop by the last OF March or the nrst
week in April.
While administration leaders will
strive for a short and harmonious ses-
sion, with major legislation confined
largely to a new neutrality bill and
some relief and appropriation meas
ures, the Republicans are reported TO
favor breaking the whole fight over
the New Deal in an aggressive attack
on administration men and policies.
Most plans, however, were con-
tingent on what the Supreme Court
does about the six major pieces OF
legislation now before it for review.
If, for example, it should strike down
the agricultural adjustment program,
many legislators believe the resultant
struggle would prolong the session at
least a month beyond the adjourn
ment date which is now the aim OF
Democratic leaders.
Notes Jotted for Weeks.
For several weeks the Chief Execu-
tive has been jotting down notes on his
message to Congress, but today was his
first opportunity for detailed work.
There was no intimation at the
White House as to the contents OF the
message. It was regarded, however, as
highly probable that much of it would
be. devoted to the international situa-
ton and recommendations for neutral
ity legislation.
The recent neutrality law expires
February 20 and the President already
has said he would recommend new
legislation early in the session. He
might prefer, however, to make it the
subject of a special message few days
later and devote his annual message to
domestic affairs.
Date of Message Uncertain.
Whether the President will deliver
his message the day Congress opens.
January 8, or wait for day of two is
still undecided. It would be quite
possible for the message to be deliv-
cred on the opening day, as Congress
does not have to go through the ma
chinery of organizing. This will be
the second session Of the Seventy
fourth Congress which organized last
session.
Political observers have believed the
President might send his annual mes
sage on the Sd, which is Friday, per-
mitting Congress to recess over the
week end and receive the budget mes
sage on Monday.