Evening star., 1939-09-08
Move Is Taken
ToBo|ster u. ).
Defenses
Army, Navy EnIisting
To Be Stepped Up;
Propaganda Fought
BULLETIN.

LLL
The White House announced
today that the executive orders
issued by President Roosevelt
authorized the Army, Navy and
Marine Corps to enlist $4,000 re-
cruits. In addition, the Presi-
dent authorized expansion OF the
National Guard by $4,000. The
Army would be increased by
about $4,000, the Navy by l4'ooo
and the Marine Corps by $4,000.
In addition, the orders provide
for an increase of $50 men in the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
BY the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt today pre-
claimed limited national emer-
gencv" to safeguard United States
neutrality and to strengthen ma
tional defense.
Emphasizing at a press conference
that under no circumstances would
this put the Nation on a wartime
basis, the President said the proc
lamation would involve increases IN
the military branches, but not to
the extent of the full, authorized
time strength.
The President said four executive
orders would be issued by the At
torney General later in the day au-
thorizing the following four steps
under the proclamation:
l. Recruiting for the Army and
calling back flrst-line reserves to
increase the enlisted strength but
nowhere near the full 100000 peace
time authorization. The actual in
crease has not yet been decided.
2. Increase the Navy personnel
but not to the full extent of the $780,
900 peace time authorization. The
Navy now has between $4,000 anc
10000 men and this figure will be
increased to a total not yet deter
mined.
To Fill Chinks and Gaps.
The increases also will affect the
National Guard and Marine Corps
The object, Mr.. Roosevelt said, is tc
fill in the chinks and gaps in the
military services, such as providing
enough men at such points as the
Panama Canal, Puerto Rico and GER
tain arms of the service from which
men have been withdrawn in recent
years for other assignments.
~, VA
under its emergency funds to use
$500,000 to assist Americans to come
home from the war zone.
4. Increasing the personnel o1
Federal investigating agencies tt
protect the United States agains
sabotage, propaganda and other sub.
versive activities such as this Natior
experienced between 1914 and 1917
The President told the press con
ference no other major steps were
contemplated for the immediate fu,
ture and emphasized again ano
again that nothing in any way con
nected with his latest proclamation
could be construed as putting thi
country on war basis.
Other White House Steps.
He said there was no intention o
doing all the things that could b.
done under emergency statutes, bu
that the actions he was taking Wer,
simple and minor steps limited tt
peace-time operation.
There was no effort, he added, t,
put the defenses or the Nation
economy on war footing.
The President also disclosed that
l. Undersecretary of State Welle
would represent the United State
in the Pan American Conference il
Panama, in which all the q Ameri
can republics will discuss means o
preserving neutrality on the hemi
sphere The conference will be hell
some time between September 20 ant
october l.
2. He had signed a proclama tiol
of neutrality and extended the arm
embargo to the Union of South AT
rica, now officially at war with Ger
many
3. He had drafted a similar proc
lamation with respect to Canada
but would delay putting it into eff
feet until the Canadian Parliamen
actually declared war
Special Session Still Studied.
AS to calling Congress into specia
session to consider Neutrality Ac
revision, the Chief Executive salt
that was still in the study stage ant
no decision had been reached
He said he was discussing tn
situation with House and Senat
leaders and added the session GER
tainly would be called some tim
between now and January 3.
Responding to questions, MI
Roosevelt said it could be assume'
he would ask for repeal of the arm
embargo clause which now is il
effect and prohibits shipment o
arms. ammunition and other i'm
plements of war to all the European
belligerents.
Asked whether it would be shor
session, he said as far as he coul'
tell now it seemed unnecessary t.
ask for anything except repeal o
the embargo provision of what h
described as the "so-called" Neu
trality Act.
He added that he saw no reasol
for a long session and had hear'
of no proposals to ban profiteerinl
or change the johnson Act prohibit
ing long term loans in this countr.
(See NEUTRALITY, Page A-5D