The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-16
Roosevelt To
Give Defense
Plans Today
Chief Decides To Deliver
His Special Message To
Congress In Person
PLAN JOINT SESSION
Big Part Of Program To
Deal With Anti-Aircraft
Defense Expansion

President Roosevelt decided tonight
to deliver his special defense mes
sage to congress in person.
He will speak at l p. m. eastern
standard time Thursday. The ad-
dress will be broadcast nationally
and perhaps internationally over
the NBC, CHS and MBS radio net
works.
Stephen Early, the Presidents
press secretary, said that the &C
ton was taken on the advice and
recommendation of congressional
leaders. Both houses and senate
members will be in attendance.
Arrangements for the address
were started as soon as the Presi-
dent made known his decision
shortly before 10 p. m. EST. Leg
islators expressed the belief that
the President was using this meth
cd of demonstrating the impor-
lance of his message.
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Special details of policemen will
be assigned to the Capitol, and con-
.gressional leaders will put through
a resolution for a joint session as
soon as the senate and house con-
vene.
simultaneously it became known
that President Roosevelt, while
working on the message, has been
continuing correspondence with for
eign governments, including Italy,
looking toward peace.
The President remained at his
desk until 2 a. m. today primarily
to draft his message, but it was
learned that ne also was in tele-
phonic communication with Secre-
tary Hull at the state department
in connection with the foreign in
te~rchanges.
These were authoritatively de-
scribed as representing no new
move but merely a continuation of
efforts along the line the President
has pursued for the last year.
A a tive congressional
sources disclosed that a substantial
part of the defense program would
be devoted to a tremendous expan-
sion of anti-aircraft defenses and
private munitions industries.
Legislators in close touch with
the situation asserted that $685.
900, 900 of the estimated 1915, 000,-
900 armament program would be
earmarked for anti-afrcraft guns
and ammunition for mobile regi-
ments, fixed batteries and sea-
coast defenses.
$44, DOC, 900 For Plants
An additional $44, 600, 900, it was
learned, would go for the expan-
sion and tooling of plants for the
manufacture of equipment such as
semi-automatic rifles, machine
guns, tanks and anti-tank guns.
House members explained that the
of private facilities was
aimed at cutting down the time re-
quired to produce the arms, now
estimated to range between one
and two years for many items.
The disclosures were made while
demands were heard in the senate
for an investigation of national de-
Senator Clark D-Mo) shout
ed to the chamber that he was op-
posed to pouring any more bill
lions down the same rathole be-
fore we find out what the brass
hats have done with ST. 1000, 900, 900
already received"
President Roosevelt worked to-
Gay on the defense program, which
ne expects to send to congress to-
morrow. The army is slated to get
p726, 900, 900 Of the total and the
navy about $3.50, 900, 900, chiefly
speed up construction of war;
ships now on the ways.
A $23, 600, 900 slice of the funds,
sources said, would be
devoted to providing the army's
with self-sealing gaso-
inc tanks and protective armor.
Other Expenditures
The program also calls for ex-
oenditure of about $50, 600, 900 for
zoo four-engined bombers, about
'265, 900, 600 for equipment for a
and force of 1000, 900 men, and
y, OOO, 900 for educational orders to
Continued on Page Four)