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Show t i . Roosevelt Declares Congress Must Assume Responsibility for Canal Defense Delay ABOARD PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL SPE-CIAL EN ROUTE TO WASHINGTON, WASHING-TON, March 2 (INS) President Roosevelt returning from a 15-day Inspection cruise df Panama canal defenses, today challenged congress con-gress to take full responsibility for any action which may defer construction of a third set of locks. Commenting on the house appropriations ap-propriations committee action In slashing 85 per cent from the canal budget the president said such a move should not be camouflaged that It the money finally la with- held, congress should accept the responsibility. Mr. Roosevelt told reporters In a press conference In his private car that preliminary work had advanced ad-vanced sufficiently to permit start of actual construction of the third set of locks this spring. The bouse committee, holding that the administration waa going ahead too fast recently disapproved a budget proposal for an Immediate Immedi-ate $15,000,000 cash outlay to start the locks and a $99,300,000 contract ' authorization. A third set of locks, asserted Ihe chief executive, will give the canal its required security and also Uks care of the Increased tonnage which is hoped for from Improved commerce once the European war ends. The president denied flatly that any move was afoot to acquire sovereignty of any Islands in the Pacific to bulwark outer defenses of the vital lifeline. All of .th Central American republics are in complete sympathy with the defense de-fense Idea, he said. |