Evening star., 1940-06-28
Defense
Continued From First Page

inquiry to the Attorney General,
but was told by neWsmen that the
latter "aint" talking.
The proclamation, Mr.. Roosevelt
asserted, is merely to permit the
administration in Washington to
take charge of clearance of foreign
vessels. In case questions arise
about them, he said, local harbor
officials will be able to shift re-
sponsibility of clearance to Wash
tngton.
That was his answer to a ques-
ton whether the procle nation
would permit the United States to
detain such vessels as the liner Nor
mandie, now in New York Harbor.
Usually well informed sources
said last hight that the Army fund
request might be ready for SUBJ
mission to Congress next week.
The exact amount of the forth
coming request was not disclosed by
these sources, but they did say that
If the funds were voted the Ma
tons arms expenditures for the
coming fiscal year would surpass
the all-tirne record outlay of s1l,-
OIL 1897 900 for the IL months be-
ginning July /, 1918.
Funds Without Delay.
MIR. Roosevelt, it was said, will
ask Congress to make the addition
al billions available without delay
30 that the Army can place more
orders at once for planes, tanks and
other weapons. The projected rec
ommendation also was reported to
include provisions for financing ex-
pansion of aircraft production and
munitions factories construction
The action authorizing seizure of
Foreign vessels, one high official said.
could be interpreted as laying the
basis for the possible detention, if
necessary, not only of French YES
sells in American waters but also of
shipping owned in other European
countries now controlled by Ger
many.
Invoking 1917 espionage statute,
the Chief Executive delegated the
broad control powers to Secretary
Morgenthau, who, as head of the
Treasury Department, directs the
Coast Guard and Customs Service.
The control powers extend to domes-
tic as well as foreign vessels. The
Treasury said no immediate action
was contemplated.
The proclamation stated that
ships might be seized ito secure OBJ
servance Of the rights and obliga-
tions of the United States" and
this language caused speculation.
The question raised was whether
the word "obligations" would cover
seizure of French ships in lieu of
the $4,200,0 100000 owed by France to
the United States on the World
War debt. Official clarification on
this point was lacking.
Normandie in List.
French ships now in American
ports, aside from the Normandie,
include the San Francisco and
Leopold L. D. at New York, the
Vannes and Wisconsin at Los An
geles, the tanker Merope at Ches-
ter, Pa: the Winnepeg at Miami
and the tanker Scheherzade at
Corpus Christi. Tex.
The power to seize foreign vessels
also was granted to the Governor
of the Panama Canal under the
same restrictions placed on Secre-
tary Morgentnau.
On the subject of the reported
additional defense request reliable
sources said that both MIR. Roose-
velt and the National Defense Com
mission have approved all its de-
tails. If transmission of the request
to Congress is delayed beyond next
week, they added, it would be be-
cause of budgetary procedure. Some
members of Congress were reported
to have been informed of the Presi-
dents plans.
Appropriations already provided
for the Army have been based on
the cost of complete equipment for
100000 troops under the protective
mobilization plan. The fact that
the reported additional request
would be entirely for Army pur-
poses indicated the high command
had long-range plans to have full
service and reserve equipment ready
for an even larger force, should the
occasion arise.
Army Orders Placed.
The War Department, meanwhile
placed further equipment orders