Evening star., 1940-12-27
Roosevelt Splits
Time Between
Budget, Speech
Sunday Address
On Foreign Policy
May Be Blunt
BY JOHN c. HENRY.

President Roosevelt divided his at.
tention today between preparation
of a history making budget for the
fiscal year 1912 and a radio report
to the Nation scheduled for delivery
Sunday night.
Keeping his engagements to
minimum to permit work on the
Sunday address, expected to be an
important announcement on foreign
policy, the President told his press
conference he would see Budget
Director Harold D. Smith today to
receive from him some overall figures
on the 1912 financial program. Thus
far Mr.. Roosevelt said, in answer
to questioning about a possible
1000 100000 defense estimate, he
has not seen total figures.
During further discussion of the
budget matter and its submission
to the new Congress, Mr.. Roosevelt
disclosed that he may delay both
his annual message and budget
message beyond the first day or two
of the congressional session. Presen-
tation of his annual address. he
said, will be at the convenience of
the Congress and might be on either
OF the first three days of its session.
Similar uncertainty about presenta.
ton also applies to the budget mes
sage, he added.
Will Talk to Rayburn.
Dra i l. - 4
| to Speaker Rayburn in a few days
on this question, and also about the
desirability of his appearing in per-
son to deliver his annual address.
The President also told his press
| conference today that he has asked
the new Office for Production Man.
| agement, supreme defense agency,
to make a careful study of the C.
l. 0. plan for utilizing automotive
productive capacity for turning out
military airplanes The program,
brought to the White House early
in the week by C. I. o. President
Philip Murray, called for production
of 500 all-metal pursuit planes daily.
Describing the plan is one under
taken with the utmost seriousness
and fine purpose, Mr.. Roosevelt said
that it involves the question of tech
nlcal management and would be
very helpful if it can be worked to
an operating point.
Declines Comment on Peace.
/ Answering questions frequently
by saying he had no news, the Chief
Executive in that fashion declined
any comment on recent suggestions
from Capitol Hill that this Govern
ment make inquiry into the pos
slbllltles of a negotiated peace in
Europe
Mr.. Roosevelt was to have lunch
today with Attorney General Jack
son and was to see his cabinet
later in the afternoon. Secretary
of State Hull was scheduled to re-
main at the White House after the
cabinet meeting, probably for the
purpose of discussing the Sunday
night address.
/ Regarding the Sunday night
speech Mr.. Roosevelt said he has
completed second draft. but added
that there may be several more.
and perhaps complete change
in content before the address is
ready for delivery. He explained
with a laugh he is having trouble
boiling down what he wants to say
sufficiently to include it in a half
hour talk
Address Starts at $3.50 PM.
! The address is scheduled to be
delivered between $50 and 10 pm.
and will be broadcast by the three
major radio networks.
| Before the Chief Executive as he
continued work on the speech was
an urgently worded appeal signed
by nearly 200 professional men and
women asking that he speak clearly
and boldly on the gravity of the
world crisis and this Nations re-
sponsibilities.
Lehman Discusses Plan.
Further support for a fortnight
warning to the American people
Sunday night came today from Gov.
Herbert H. Lehman of New York
after conference with the Presi-
dent at the White House.
Telling reporters as he left that
he had discussed in general way a
proposal which he submitted yester-
day to Defense Commissioner Will
liam S. Knudsen for transfer of
many commercial facilities into mil
itary production plants, the New
York Governor added:
Many people as yet have no real
ration of the emergency nature of
the situation. 1t is extremely i'm
portant that all the facts be given
to make people realize the import
ance of producing defense materials
in as large quantities as possible,
(See ROOSEVELT, Page A-3)