Evening star., 1938-01-10
PRESIDENT WORKS
0NNAWPROCRAM
Record Peace Time Con-
struction Plans Subject of
Two Conferences.
Bv !, RUSSELL YOUNG.

President Roosevelt'S enlarged Navy
the biggest in peace-time history Of
the country. was the subject Of two
conferences at the White House to-
day
Mr.. Roosevelt first went over the
subject with the four House and Sem
ate leaders whom he has been seeing
each Monday morning during the last
few weeks to discuss legislative mat
ters. and his second conference was
with Secretary of Stale Hull Under
secretary Welles and Admiral William
H. Leahy. chief of naval operations.
II was understood that the President
also discussed with the congressional
group-wnich included Vice President
Garner, Senator Barkley Of Kentucky,
Democratic leader Of the Senate:
Speaker Bankhead and Representative
Rayburn of Texas. Democratic leader
of the House--the Ludlow war refer
endum resolution
Message Not Ready.
The President is not ready to send
his message to Congress on the supple
mental Navy building program. In
fact, he has not even started the writ
ing Of the document. 1t was said at
the White House that he wants to hold
more conferences with congressional
leaders and naval and State Depart
ment authorities before composing it.
He is hoping the conferences will
serve to clear up some points, particu-
larly the possibility of new legislation
in the event the supplemental pro-
gram is not already provided for by
law.
Moreover. the President has not vet
reached a definite decision as to the
number of ships he will approve for
the supplemental program, nor their
types. This must be decided. of
course. before he sends his message to
Congress.
y The President tomorrow will resume
his series of conferences with utility
company heads The group with
which he has arranged to confer in
the morning includes Daniel c. Green
vi ShlAdSo. vi VI tllC SSIlLl al
Service Corp. of Illinois; John Car
penter. Dallas. Tex, president of the
Texas Power e. Light Co., and A. B
West. Riverside. Calf. president OF
the Nevada California Electric Corp
Aim of the conferences has been tC
determine what the utility companie.
can do in the way of expansion to CO.
operate in plans for stimulating
business.
The President discussed public
utility matters also with Guy c. Myer
of New York This conference wa
arranged by j. D. Rose. one of tn
Presidents advisers on power. who il
now head of the Bonneville Dan
project
Many Telegrams on Speech.
Mr. Roosevelt was pleased with tn
number of kilograms he received a
the White House yesterday and toda
congratulating him on the speech h
delivered Saturday night at tn
Jackson Day dinner. The White Hous
did not have the exact number. whicl
came from all parts OF the country
but it was said that their reaction
was very favorable.
The Chief Executive had an
other conference today with Barnar'
Baruch, New York financier, who wa
his luncheon guest. Their last con
ference was less than two weeks age
The Presidents engagement list to
day also included Arthur B. Sherma
of New York, an old Harvard class
mate; Representative Koppleman 9
' Connecticut, Assistant Secretary G
State Sayre, who was accompanied D
John MacMurray, one of the diplo
? mats of the State Department VIII
= = has just returned from mission t
the Philippines.