| Show 1 W Asks for Right to Arm I Ships J AXIS CONTROL OF oi SEA DEFIED BY PRESIDENT Congress Given Notice of Further Change WASHINGTON Oct 9 UP President Roosevelt urgently asked congress Thursday to au authorize authorize authorize immediate arming of American merican merchant vessels deI declaring declaring de de- I claring we w will not let Hitler t prescribe t the e waters of the world on which our ships may J. J travel a aThe The president also declared that it ultimately will be necessary to 1 deliver American goods under the J American flag to belligerent ports He recommended therefore that congress later consider re- re Text of I Message on Page 2 I II pealing section two of the neutrality neutrality neutrality neu neu- law and thus remove the j 1 prohibitions that now prevent American ships from going to belligerent belligerent belligerent bel bel- bel- bel areas j It Its is time for this country to 1 stop playing into Hitler's hands i and to unshackle our own Mr Roosevelt said F i Claims Extreme Urgency The Th arming of our ships Is a a r matter matte of immediate necessity and extreme urgency It is not more important than r some other crippling provisions In Inthe inthe the the- present act but anxiety for forthe forthe the safety of our crews and of the almost priceless goods that are l i within the holds of our ships leads me to recommend that you with all speed strike the prohibition against arming our ships from the statute statute- books We will not let Hitler prescribe the waters of the world on which t our ships may travel The American Ameri Ameri- can flag flag- is not going to be driven r from the seas either by his submarines submarines sub sub- r f marines his his' airplanes or his threats 5 Bill Prepared 5 5 Ch Chairman irman Tom rom Connally D. D Texas of the senate foreign relations relations relations rela rela- r committee and Chairman Sol j Bloom D. D N. N Y of the house foreign affairs committee were ready with a simple bill to repeal section 6 of the neutrality act and to approve the arming of merchant merchant mer men chant vessels during the unlimited national emergency proclaimed by Mr Roosevelt on May 27 21 Prior to the reading of the presidents president's prest- prest presidents president's dents dent's message message- Secretary of State s sHull Hull s said Jie he considered it important important important tant and urgent that action be betaken betaken 9 taken q quickly to change the neutrality neutrality neutrality neu neu- act in including luding r repeal peal of section 6 the ore one which now forbids forbids forbids for for- bids the arming of merchant ships He made the statement at a press a conference authorizing direct quotation quotation quotation quo quo- of his words to tation emphasize 1 his concern over the issue l will hold 1 Blooms Bloom's committee M hearings n the bill early next week and leaders hope to have havethe the house pass it before the end of that week f The president was specific in asking the power to arm merchant merchant merchant mer mer- chant vessels He was almost equally specific in requesting abolition abolition abolition abo abo- of the combat zones to permit permit permit per per- mit ships to go anywhere on the 1 seven seas but he Indicated that S j that matter may be deferred for a short while Recommends Repeal S I recommended the the- repeal of or section 6 of the act of November 4 a 1939 which prohibits the arming of American flag ships engaged in foreign commerce he said It is an imperative need no now to equip American merchant vessels vessels vessels ves ves- sels with arms We are arc faced not t Continued on on Page Two e J Column One i I f Roosevelt Se Seeks ks Right To P Arm A II I ITo Continued from Pas Page One with the old type of t pirate but with the modern pirates pirate of the sea who travel beneath the surface or oron oron oron on the surface or in the air destroying de de- de- de 2 defenseless ships without warning and without provision for forthe forthe a the safety of tho the passengers and rn at crews Declaring that there are various vari varl ous crippling provisions in the neutrality act Mr Roosevelt said w that as the United States apa approached approached ap ap- a- a full production for Hitler's Hitler's Hit Hit- foil lers ler's enemies It would become increasingly increasingly in increasingly in- in necessary to permit American ships to go anywhere under the protection of their own guns and their own flag That That- would require repeal of section 2 of the act I 1 be believe eve that it is essential to the proper defense of our country I that we cease giving the giving the definite I assistance which we are now now giving giving giving ing to the aggressors he said For in effect we are Inviting their control of the seas by keeping keeping keeping keep keep- ing our ships out of the ports of our own friends Most of the vital goods authorIzed authorized authorized author author- bv by the congress contress are de de- de- de livered Yet many many of then them them are being sunk and as we approach full production requiring the use of more ships now being built it will be increasingly necessary to deliver American goods under the American flag We Ve cannot and should not depend depend depend de de- de- de pend oti on the strained resources of the exiled nations of Norway and Holland to deliver our goods nor should we be forced to masquerade owned American-owned ships behind the flags of our sister republics I earnestly trust that the congress congress congress con con- gress will carry out the true intent intent intent in in- in- in tent of the lend-lease lend act by making making making mak mak- ing it possible for the United States to help to deliver the articles articles articles arti arti- cles to those who are in a position position position tion effectively to use them In other words I ask for congressional congressional congressional action to implement congressional congressional congressional con con- gressional policy Let us be con con- Mr Roosevelt said that America cannot permit the affirmative defense of our rights to be annulled annulled annulled an an- and diluted by sect sections ons of the neutrality act which have no realism In the light of unscrupulous unscrupulous lous ambition of madmen The president admitted that the arming of merchant vessels would not guarantee their safety but insisted that it it most certainly would add to their safety |
