Evening star., 1939-09-19
President Plans
Neutrality Talk
AtCapito|
Appearance Slated
tentatively for
ppm. Thursday
BY JOHN c. HENRY.

BY JOHN c. HENRY.
President Roosevelt now plans to
address Congress in person when
it convenes in special session Thurs
day, it was announced today at the
White House. The Presidents ap-
pearance has been scheduled ten.
tatively for pm.
The decision, still subject to re-
vision, was made after White House
officials had communicated with
Democratic leaders of both House
and Senate.
In making the announcement,
Presidential Secretary Stephen Early
said he had talked yesterday with
Speaker Bankhead and had been
told there should be no delay about
convening the session at noon and
enacting the necessary resolution to
provide for joint meeting to hear
the President.
BY telegraph from Dallas, Tex,
Vice President Garner informed the
White House he believed the joint
meeting could be arranged for l, 2
or 3 o'clock, to suit the convenience
of the Chief Executive.
Senate Majority Leader Barkley
wired from Paducah, KY, that he
saw no reason for delaying the Joint
session later than 2 o'clock. Sen
ator Barkley said he planned to ar
rive in Washington tomorrow morn
ing.
To Start Writing Today.
On the basis of this consensus. Mr.
Early said the President had decided
tentatively on his personal appear
ance at 2 pm.
Mr.. Roosevelt plans 70 start writ
ing his message this afternoon, Mr..
Early said with the expectation that
it will be relatively brief. 1t is ex-
pected to deal almost exclusively
with revision of the Neutrality Act.
Thus far, Mr. Early added, there
have been no requests and no plans
for advance meetings with any of
the congressional and political lead
ers invited to the White House for
the emergency legislative confer
ence tomorrow afternoon.
! Among Mr.. Roosevelt's appoint
ments for today was one late this
afternoon with Daniel J. Tobin. vice
president of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, who recently returned
from European trip. Mr.. Early
said Mr. Tobin had written some
articles on conditions abroad and
that today's meeting with the Presi-
dent had taken account of these
writings Mr. Tobin is president OF
the Teamsters' Union and is MEM
ber of the A. F. L. committee that
attempted to negotiate peace with
the c. I. o.
Hull's Views Unchanged.
| While neither the White House
nor the State Department has re-
vealed Just what will be requested
of the special session of Congress in
the way of revising the neutrality
law, Secretary of State Hull today
told his press conference that his
views remain fundamentally the
same" on the question.
Last July, the Secretary submitted
a statement to the congressional
committees on foreign matters in
which he supported elimination of
the arms embargo on the grounds it
was actually an unneutral mecha-
niSm in violation of traditional
rights of a neutral to continue trade
under the accepted conditions of in
ternational law.
Asked if his reply today meant
that he had changed his opinion On
any details of the problem, Mr.. Hull
declined further comment.
Pound Action Studied.
Elsewhere in the Capital two Gov
ernment departments turned to the
formulation of emergency policies
calculated to moderate the upsetting
effects of wartime on our finance
and food markets.
The Treasury, disturbed at the
sharp decline in the New York
exchange value of the British pound,
caused by international currency
speculation, studied existing laws
applicable to the regulation of for
eign exchange transactions in this
country. Imposition Of licensing re-
quirements was discussed as one
possibility.
At the Department of Agriculture
Secretary Wallace planned an initial
meeting with his newly appointed
advisory council to discuss farm and
food supply conditions. A jump in
food prices was an immediate effect
of the beginning of hostilities in
Europe, but thus far the depart
ment has taken no action with re-
gard to price control or production.
Second Roosevelt Plea.
Meanwhile, the White House
hoped for some tangible reaction in
compliance with the Presidents
latest appeal to the belligerent
nations that they refrain from
making war from the air on defense
less civilians in open communities.
Addressed directly to President
Moscicki of Poland last night, Mr..
Roosevelt's appeal was prompted by
Polish charges that German aircraft
deliberately and methodically" had
been bombing towns which were not
in the category of military OBJ
jectives. Mr.. Roosevelt was informed
of this accusation in plea for fur
ther intervention from President
Moscicki.
Expressing himself as deeply
shocked" President Roosevelt an
swered that "it had been my hope
following the receipt from the sew
eral belligerent powers of the replies
to my appeal of September l, in
which they stated their intentions
to limit the operations of their all
forces to military objectives, that
the world would be spared the horror
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