Evening star., 1940-02-09
WeIIes
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congressional leaders, ana that the
matter is solely one concerning him.
self and the State Department.
Mr.. Roosevelt said he did not
know whether Mr.. Welles might
seek a personal interview with
Chancellor Hitler of Germany.
Mr.. Roosevelt took occasion dur
ing the course of questioning about
Mr.. Welles' mission to speak good
word for the "goodneighbor" policy
which the Undersecretary has been
active in promoting among the
American republics.
Asked who would take care of this
policy in the Undersecretary's alb
sence, the Chief Executive laughed
and said he felt the administration
was capable of preserving a policy
which he said had been universally
accepted and approved in South,
Central and North America.
Will Sail for Italy.
Secretary Hull said at his press
conference later in the day that he
understood Mr.. Welles would sail for
Italy on February II aboard the
Italian liner Rex, the first vessel
available. Myron C. Taylor, emmis-
sary to the Vatican, is expected to
be on the same ship. Since Mr..
Welles will land in Italy, he presum-
ably will make his first official calls
there, Mr.. Hull added.
He said it was routine matter in
connection with such visits to sound
out the foreign countries involved on
how Mr.. Welles would be received
there, but said he could not go into
the question of whether the State
Department already had arranged
for personal interviews by Mr..
Welles with the heads of the coun-
tries he is to visit.
Mr.. Hull said that he had not
heard any discussion of whether Mr.
Welles might call on the Pope while
in Italy, but assumed that the
Vatican would not be a part of his
itinerary.
The Secretary said he assumed
that Mr.. Welles would be accom-
panied by an assistant from the
State Department.
Another in Series of Missions.
Mr.. Welles' new mission will add
another to the series he has under
taken, the last one being as head
of the American delegation to the
Pan-American Neutrality Confer
ence, which created the Western
Hemisphere neutrality zone last fall.
A man of considerable wealth, Mr..
Welles was educated at the same
schools as President Roosevelt
Groton and Harvard. He entered
the diplomatic service in 1915 as
a secretary to the Ambassador to
Toxic. At the age of % Mr.. Welles
was made chief of the division of
Latin American affairs of the State
Department.
He was successfully Assistant Sec
retary of State Ambassador to Cuba,
was reappointed Assistant Secretary
and then became Undersecretary of
State in 1887. He is now AZ years
old.
The Presidents feelings on the
question of Finnish aid were dis
closed at his press conference when
he was asked about pending legisla-
ton to encourage the floating of a
Finnish war bond issue here.
Declines Direct Comment.
Declining direct comment on this
particular proposal, the President
reminded his conference that he had
sent a message to Congress on the
whole problem and that after three
or four weeks they are still talking
about it on Capitol Hill.
His reiteration of the policy Of
military aid came during dis.
cussion of yesterdays White House
conference with cabinet members of
the National Munitions Control
Board.
Primarily, he said, discussion had
centered on the possible sale OF sur
plus military supplies to neutral ma
tions. Involved, he said, is the ques-
ton of what properly constitutes a
surplus lot, but he cited such things
as a great quantity of Army shoes
bought during the World War and
still held in storage by this Gov
ernment. Another item was some
field artillery of British manufac-
ture which also was purchased dur
ing the last war.
A great many neutral nations
have attempted to buy supplies of
this kind here, he said. Asked If
Finland is considered a neutral in
view of absence of any declared war,
the President said he doubted if we
would sell guns or ammunition to
Finland in view of its actual par
ticipation in conflict.