Evening star., 1939-09-01

Of Chancellor Hitler's proclamation |
that he would fight in defense Of
German territory.
The first White House action after
receipt of the Bullitt information
was an order that all naval vessels
and Army commands be notified at
once of the European situation.
Text Of Bombing Plea.
Some 80 minutes later, about 4:30
am, the plea for moderation in
aerial warfare was dispatched. It
follows in full:
THE ruthless bombing from the
air of civilians in unfortifled centers
of population during the course Of
the hostilities which have ragged In
various quarters of the earth during
the past few years, which have re-
suited in the manning and in the
death Of thousands of defenseless
women and children has sickened
the hearts of every civilized man
and woman and has profoundly
shocked the conscience of humanity.
If resort is had to this form of
inhuman barbarism during the pc
riod of the tragic conflagration with
which the world is now confronted,
hundreds of thousands Of innocent
human beings who have no re-
sponsibility for, and who are not
even remotely participants in. the
hostilities which have now broken
out, will lose their lives.
II am, therefore, addressing this
urgent appeal to every government
which may be engaged in hostilities
publicly to affirm its determination
that its armed forces shall in no
event and under no circumstances
undertake the bombardment from
the air of civilian populations or of
unfortif1ed cities, upon the UNDER
standing that these same rules of
warfare will be scrupulously OBJ
served by all Of their opponents. I
request an immediate reply"
Mr.. Bullitt presented the message
to Frances Foreign Minister,
Georges Bonnet, at o'clock, WASH
ington time, and received an imme-
diate answer on behalf of that ma
ton, the Associated Press reported.
Delivers Appeal at Rome.
William Phillips, United States
Ambassador to Italy, called at the
Rome foreign office today 20 min
utes before the Italian cabinet met
and delivered President Roosevelts
appeal against bombing of non-
combatants. He did not see Foreign
Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano, but
left a message requesting an i'm
mediate reply to the Presidents
plea.
During the night, Mr.. Roosevelt
not only received the calls and radio
dispatches from abroad but listened
to Chancellor Hitler's speech before
the Reichstag. He had family call
ers late-his son, John, and daugh-
ter-in-law, Anne-and caught his
first nap between midnight and the
call from Mr.. Bullitt.
While preparing his appeal to the
five nations and his instructions to
the Army and Navy, the President
talked by telephone with Secretary
Hull, Undersecretary of State Welles,
Secretary of War Woodring, Acting
Secretary of Navy Edison, Admiral
Stark, chief of naval operations, and
William D. Hassett, one of the White
House secretaries. He found time,
also, to call Mrs. Roosevelt at Hyde
Park to acquaint her with develop
ments.
Treasury and Justice Busy.
All Of Washington's wartime ac-
tivity was not concentrated at the
White House and State Depart
ment, however, as early morning
plans were being formulated at the
Treasury and Justice Departments
Acting Secretary of the Treasury
Hanes was at his Office at 4 am,
one of his first actions being to
communicate by radio with Secre-
tary Morgenthau, now en- route
home from Europe on the Coast
Guard cutter Campbell.
Both the Treasury and the Sc
curities and Exchange Commission
declared this morning that no i'm
mediate emergency regulations were
contemplated for either domestic
or foreign markets operating here
Ranking officials of the Federal
Reserve Board, who have wide au-
thority over stock market margins
and bank credit, were called into
conference before 9 am.
Declaring that there's not going
to be any repetition of 1917, when
this Government was unprepared to
meet an espionage problem" Attor-
ney General Murphy asserted yes
terday that the Justice Department
was exerting every effort to combat
spies.
The Federal Bureau of Investiga-
ton is opening new Offices in Puerto
Rico, Hawaii, the Panama Canal
Zone and Alaska, he said, and off,
cials are considering in ONCE In
Manila.