The Pittsburgh Press (August 18, 1941)
BILL SIGNED TO DEFER MEN WHO ARE 28
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President gives detailed report on meeting with Churchill
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By John A. Reichmann, United Press staff writer
Washington, Aug. 18 –
President Roosevelt today gave Congressional leaders a detailed report of his meeting with Prime Minister Winston Churchill and informed them that, “within a few weeks,” he will request additional Lend-Lease funds to finance a bigger flow of material aid to Britain and her allies.
This development followed the announcement that President Roosevelt has signed legislation deferring from military service all men who are 28 years old or older on this July 1.
Senate Democratic Leader Alben W. Barkley indicated that the one concrete development from the 90-minute conference with the President pertained to the new Lend-Lease request.
How much undecided
Mr. Barkley said:
The Budget Bureau is studying the Lend-Lease question and after it completes its study in all probability there will be a budget message.
He added that he felt it would be a matter of at least a few weeks before the President is ready to send such a message to Congress.
The Majority Leader said:
Nobody at the conference knew how much the new request will involve and nobody will know until the budget completes its study.
Mr. Roosevelt made his report on his historic meeting at sea to Mr. Barkley, Vice President Henry A. Wallace, Chairman Tom Connally (D-TX) of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chairman Walter F. George (D-GA) of the Senate Finance Committee, Acting Speaker Clifton A. Woodrum (D-VA) and Chairman Sol Bloom (D-NY) of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
‘All confidential’
Mr. Barkley said:
It was very interesting but I can’t tell you much about it. It was all confidential.
Mr. Barkley was asked:
Did the President give you a “full” report on the Churchill meeting?
Mr. Barkley replied:
He couldn’t give us a full report in an hour-and-a-half but he did give us a detailed report. That was on account of what happened at sea.
The draft deferment bill was signed on Saturday. Sometime today the President was expected to sign the bill extending the term of all Army men by 18 months. This bill, which passed the House by only one vote, would permit the government to hold selectees, National Guardsmen and reservists in service a total of two-and-a-half years. For regulars, it would mean a term of four-and-a-half years instead of three years.
The deferment bill provides for automatic annual deferment of men who become 28 during future years.
To dismiss selectees
The new law also provides for the Secretary of War to dismiss from service selectees who reached 28 on or before July 1, 1941. The selectees must apply for such discharge and the Secretary is required to dismiss them:
…as soon as practicable and when not in conflict with the interests of national defense.
As of June 1, there were 112,000 selectees in service who were 28 or older. The War Department has indicated that it proposes to discharge most of these, although some specialists will be held in service. As a matter of practical operation, the discharges will be made gradually. The machinery has not yet been perfected.
To reserve roster
The act does not provide for discharge of men in service who become 28 after July 1, 1941, or any subsequent date. New legislation would have to be enacted for that purpose.
Those discharged under terms of the act signed Saturday will be transferred to a reserve component of the Army for a period of 10 years, and will be liable for future service, if and when it becomes necessary.
The new act also contains a “publicity” clause, requiring local draft boards to post, in a “conspicuous place,” the names and classifications of all men on their rolls.
Mr. Barkley said the conference touched “only casually” on the Far Eastern situation, where American relations with Japan are severely strained.
To confer with Hopkins
Mr. Barkley was asked:
Did the President express any particular satisfaction at the decision of Congress to take a month’s vacation?
He grinned and replied that the President expressed no viewpoint on that particular point.
Although he said the Senate has no definite plans for a recess with the House, he made it clear thar action would be postponed on major legislation until after Labor Day.
He said that price control legislation was not disclosed during the meeting.
It was believed that Mr. Roosevelt would discuss means of speeding up American war-aid to Britain and Russia at a conference with Lend-Lease administrator Harry L. Hopkins, who has opened conversations on the subject with Lord Beaverbrook, British Minister of Supply.
To increase war aid
Mr. Roosevelt and his aides were prepared to translate into action his agreement to step up the flow of American supply to Britain and her allies as a means of stiffening resistance to Axis aggression.
The President likewise was concerned over strained U.S. relations with Japan. He manifested that concern when he returned to the capital yesterday after his historic meeting with Mr. Churchill, going immediately into conference with Secretary of State Cordell Hull.
The discussion was reported to have gone far beyond Japan’s action in holding 100 American citizens as virtual hostages. They were reported to have canvassed the entire Far Eastern situation in the light of Mr. Roosevelt’s earlier statement that his talks with Mr. Churchill had brought complete Anglo-American accord regarding developments on every continent.
Testing Jap reaction
At the same time, Mr. Hopkins conferred in another room of the White House with Lord Beaverbrook presumably on methods of obtaining and transporting supplies which the Red Army needs immediately to withstand the heightening pressure of German attacks.
Some observers speculated on the possibility that the government may be making a deliberate test of Japanese reaction to Russian-aid shipments via the Pacific in its disclosure that tankers carrying aviation gasoline are already en route. It was pointed out that while usual government policy is to keep such shipments a secret, Defense Oil Coordinator Harold L. Ickes openly announced in a press conference last week that the first of four tankers assigned to take gasoline to Russia had sailed from Los Angeles.
Pressing problems
These matters awaited Mr. Roosevelt’s immediate attention as he returned to his desk in the executive offices:
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Refusal of Japan to permit the liner SS President Coolidge to pick up more than 100 Americans who had been stranded on Tokyo when the sailings of all Japanese ships to the United States were cancelled. It was pointed out in this connection that there are more than 200,000 Japanese nationals who could be detained until Japan agrees to removal of the American citizens.
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Selection of the American representative to the conference of American, British and Russian officials which Premier Joseph Stalin will convene at Moscow soon to implement the Anglo-American promise of greater war-aid. W. Averell Harriman, the President’s Lend-Lease expediter in London, is the most likely choice to represent the U.S.
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Speed up defense production to meet the demand of the new schedule of British-American-Russian collaboration against the Axis. This may entail a revamping of defense agencies to eliminate friction and centralize control. Judge Samuel I. Rosenman, presidential confidante, has been studying the situation, with particular emphasis on the dispute between the Office of Production Management and Office of Price Administration and Civilian Supply over jurisdiction.
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Signature of several important bills, including the measure extending the service of draftees, National Guardsmen, reservists, and enlisted regulars for 18 months beyond their normal terms.
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Review of relations with the Vichy French government in the light of information believed given him by Mr. Hull during yesterday’s conference. The President undoubtedly was informed of new problems created by the announcement of French Chief of State Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain of closer ties with Germany and the investiture of virtual dictatorial powers in pro-Nazi Admiral Jean François Darlan.
The new Japanese measures against U.S. citizens in the country may cause President Roosevelt to order a further tightening of economic controls over Nipponese trade here.
Export Control Administrator Russell L. Maxwell, acting under the President’s instructions, placed a long list of additional commodities under the rigid export licensing system. Virtually all wood pulp, metals and manufactures, machinery and vehicles, rubber and manufactures, and chemicals and related productions (excluding certain pharmaceuticals and medicines) were added.
Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI) demanded that the U.S. seize 10,000 Japanese aliens in Hawaii and place them in a concentration camp unless the Americans held in Tokyo are permitted to leave.
Sadao Iguchi, counselor of the Japanese Embassy, said that Consul General Mutō at San Francisco had been called here “for general discussions.” He said that it would involve mainly shipping problems and denied that any question of evacuating Japanese nationals from the United States is currently under discussion.