Evening star., 1939-04-15
Kim g, British Leaders
Told Of Roosevelt
Plea by Kennedy
Message to Hitler, Duee
Causes Excitement
In Foreign Office
BY the Associated Press.

LONDON, April 15.-President
Roosevelts personal peace appeal
to Chancellor Hitler and Premier
Mussolini, listing 81 countries and
asking both dictators to promise
not to use force against them, was
communicated today to the King,
the Prime Minister and other lead
ers of Great Britain.
Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy,
spending the week end at Windsor
Castle as guest of the British SOW
ereigns, was understood to have
told King George vi of the appeal.
Herschel V. johnson, counselor
temporarily in charge of the Lon
don Embassy, carried a text of the
message to the foreign Office this
morning.
The text also was sent to Prime
Minister Chamberlain at Chequers
and to Foreign Secretary Viscount
Halifax, who is spending the week
end at his home in Yorkshire.
Word of the message caused great
excitement in the foreign Office. 1t
usually is deserted for the week end
at noon, but all members of the
press department remained for a
meeting after lunch.
Diplomats Worried.
The last time President Roosevelt
made such an appeal was during the
German-CZecho-Slovak crisis which
led to the Munich conference
last September 20. On September
26 he sent his first appeal to Hitler.
Two days later he sent another.
News of the Presidents message
was received as diplomats were
worrying about reports of Spanish
and Italian troops in Spanish
Morocco, reported movements of
German troops on the Polish and
Yugoslav borders and rumors that
Germany may occupy the Free City
of Danzig next Wednesday, the day
before Hitler's 50th birthday.
Foreign Office officials refused to
give any official reaction to Presi-
dent Roosevelt's Pan American Day
address yesterday, but it was said
unofticially they were very CRATE
full for the Presidents attempt to
show that Britain and France had
no intention of encircling Germany
or anybody else.
Gibraltar to Be Strengthened.
The war Office announced that the
first battalion of the Welsh Guards
regiment would be sent to Gibraltar
ION or afteer April %" to strengthen
the defenses of that key center of
British armed might in the Medi-
terranean.
The announcement conceded with
Anglo French diplomatic consulta-
tionS said to have arisen from anx-
iety over reported concentrations Of
Italian troops in Spanish Morocco
and of Spanish troops and war ma
terial on the Spanish mainland near
Gibraltar.
British diplomats sought further
extension of the grand alliance
against totalitarian expansion spon-
sored by Britain and France by ef-
forts to enlist Soviet Russia's huge
air force.
Defense Booms Placed.
At Gibraltar defense oooms to both
entrances to Admiralty Harbor were
swung into position.
Putting teeth into defense plans
at the stronghold guarding the
Western inlet to the Mediterranean
British troops also erected additional
barricades to guard the Rock from
any possible invasion by land
The measures were taken as the
concentration of troops and war
materials was reported continuing
in neighboring ports of Spain
whose victorious Nationalists were
aided by Italy and Germany in the
civil war.
A large part of the German fleet is
TO maneuver on months cruise in
the neighborhood of Gibraltar be-
ginning Tuesday.