Evening star., 1942-11-02
Roosevelt Asks
Absolute Power
Over Tariffs
Authority Sought to
Regulate Flow
Of War Goods

President Roosevelt asked Con-
gress today to give him sweeping
wartime power to suspend any
law, particularly tariffs, found
interfering with the free move
ment of persons, property and
information" into and out of the
United States.
He said that speed and volume Of
war output have become more than
ever before the primary conditions
of victory"
Amplifying a recommendation he
made in 1941 which dealt only with
this Nation and Canada, the Presi-
dent suggested that the speediest
way to achieve victory would be to
give him the power to regulate the
flow of goods, persons and informa-
ton.
At White House direction, Mr..
Roosevelt said, Government agencies
already have removed and are con-
tinuing to remove numerous admin
istrative requirements and formal
tiles affecting the movement of such
items into and out of the United
States.
Many Obstacles Remain.
There remain, however" the presi-
dent said, many legislative obstacles
to that movement which impede and
delay our production effort"
Dnv-tn Dtarfo R~
Roosevelt said he did not recommend
repeal or amendment of any of these
peacetime restrictive laws, but mere
ly granting the Chief Executive the
power to deal with the situations as
they arise.
The Presidents message follows:
"On December 3, 1941, approved
statement of war production policy
for Canada and the United States,
which contained the following rec
ommendation: Legislative and adj
ministrative barriers, including tar
ifs, import duties, customs and
other regulations or restrictions Of
any character which prohibit, pre-
vent, delay or otherwise impede the
free flow of necessary munitions
and war supplies between the two
countries should be suspended or
otherwise eliminated for the dura-
ton of the war
THE needs Of the war effort
have multiplied our demands for
a maximum and integrated war
production not only at home and
in Canada, but in every country Of
the United Nations. We must
further take advantage of posi-
bilities of procurement from every
available source, foreign or domes-
tic. Speed and volume of war out
put have become more than ever
before in our history the primary
conditions of victory.
Requirements Redrafted.
ITO achieve an all-out war pro-
duction effort, we must implement
and supplement the steps already
taken by Congress and the Presi-
dent to eliminate those peacetime
restrictions which limit our ability
to make the fullest and quickets use
of the worlds resources. At my di-
rection, the Government agencies
have already removed and are en-
gagged in removing, whenever pos
sible, numerous administrative re-
quirements and formalities affecting
the movement of war goods, infor-
nation and persons into or out Of
the United States. There remain.
however, many legislative obstacles
to that movement which impede and
delay our war production.
These obstacles fall into two
classes: those directly affecting the
movement to and from the customs
territory of the United States of
material, information and persons
| needed for the war effort, such as
customs duties and the laws, and
the administrative supervision re-
quired by law affecting movement
of persons and property at our bor-
| ders and ports, and those which
impose limitations on the procure
ment, acquisition or use of nom
American articles or the transporta-
tion of supplies In American
bottoms, such as restrictions on the
use, under construction differential
subsidy contracts, of non American
materials in the construction of YES
sells under the Merchant Marine Act
(see MESSAGE, Page A-4)