Evening star., 1939-08-12
Roosevelt Boards
Cruiser for Trip,
Work on Bills Over
Confers With Stute
Department Before
Leaving Hyde Park
By the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Aug. 12.-President
Roosevelt boarded the cruiser Tusca-
loosa at 11:45 am. today for a
vacation cruise off the New England
and Canadian coasts He had mo-
tored here from his Hyde Park, N.
Y, home.
About a half hour later the
cruisers gangplank was pulled in
and at 1922 pm the ship eased out
into the river, headed toward the
ocean.
Mayor F. H. La Guardia visited
the President aboard the ship for Is
minutes, and when he left said only
that they'd had pleasant little
chat"
The President left Hyde Park at
1915 am. after he had completed
his job of passing Judgment on leg
islation.
All of the hundreds of bills rushed
through Congress in its closing days
either had been signed or rejected,
White House officials announced,
and the President was looking for
ward to a period of carefree relaXa-
tion and perhaps bit of fishing on
the cruise.
In the seclusion of the study of
his Hyde Park home he received a
last-minute report on foreign affairs
from the State Department.
Mr.. Roosevelt said at press con-
ference yesterday that he saw no
need at present of summoning Con-
gress back to work early. But, he
added, if it became reasonably GER
tain there was going to be a war in
Europe or the Far East. he prob
ably would call special session i'm
mediately. Enactment of neutrality
legislation would be its one big job.
Opposes Embargo Provision.
The President made it clear he
still did not want an arms embargo
provision on the statute books, but
preferred to handle the problem of
keeping America from being in
volved in conflict largely through
the instrumentality of international
law.
His cruise route was indefinite,
depending partially on the weather
encountered in Northeastern waters.
Mr.. Roosevelt had arranged to go
ashore only at Campobello, New
Brunswick, where his mother has
summer home and where Mr.. and
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, jr., his
son and daughter-in-law, are vaca-
tloning.
The President hoped to reach
Campobello Monday forenoon and
sail later in the day on leisurely
trip up the Canadian coast possibly
as far as Newfoundland He had
told reporters a rough sea might
mean he would seek the shelter of
harbors at Halifax or other Do
mlnlon ports at night.
He expected to return to Wash
1ngton late this month.
Invited on the cruise were Rear
Admiral Ross T. McIntire, Navy
surgeon general and White House
physician; Capt. Daniel ], Callaghan,
presidential naval aide, and Brig.
Gen. Edwin M. Watson. military
aide and one of Mr.. Roosevelt's
secretaries.
Signs Eight Bills, Rejects Nine.
OF the last batch of bills disposed
Of, the Chief Executive signed eight
and discarded nine BY White House
calculations, that brought to 667 the
number OF measures approved and
to So the total of vetoes.
Major legislation approved during
his stay at his home beside the
Hudson included:
A bill enlarging benefits and low
erlng tax burdens of the Social
Security program.
A Sl80,000 900 appropriation bill
which provided sl19,000,000 to help
strengthen farm prices and smaller
sums for national defense.
A measure authorizing a S277,-
100000 appropriation for construc-
ton of third set of locks for the
Panama Canal-lockS which Mr..
Roosevelt said would bolster the de-
fenses of the United States and the
Western Hemisphere as we'll.
One Of the last bills authorized
preliminary examinations and SUR
veys for flood control -ot numerous
rivers throughout the country.
But the President disapproved a
measure which would have per-
mitted construction, repair ana
preservation OF certain public works
on rivers and harbors."
Explains In Memorandum.
In a veto memorandum he said
he already had signed one bill TOR
the examination OF a large num-
Der of additional river and harbor
and flood control projects.
These projects, together with many
other projects which have been ex-
amlned and approved by the Army
engineers he said, will take
long time to complete after future
appropriations are made by the Con-
gress, and l think it is time to go
more slowly IN the examination ana
authorization of these rivers ana
harbors projects
The Chief Executive said he be-
heved projects should be examined
and authorized primarily on the
basis of the greatest good to the
greatest number, although he un-
derstood the urge to have Federal
money spent IN every congressional
district.
He said he thought that instead
of taking bite here and a bite
there, there should be a well-consld-
cred and Well-rounded plan tor
projects to be undertaken in a deh-
mite order of human and national
preference and desirability instead
OF putting them only on a local geo.
graphical basis"
Fish Products Bill Signed.
Another bill signed granted the
Federal Surplus Commodities Corp.
permission to buy and distribute
surplus fish products.
The President signed, too, bill
authorizing construction of water
ropSeryo tiop on5 utilization, ,,roi,ot.