DEFENCE COMMISSION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 229, 26 August 1940, Page 8

DEFENCE COMMISSION.

MEETING WITH PRESIDENT. WASHINGTON, Aug.' 24. United States members of the Canadian-American Defence Commission heard President Roosevelt’s views regarding the work confronting them. They will leave, on Sunday for Ottawa, where the first joint meetingwill be held on Monday. The Mayor of New York (Mr E. La Guardia) took the chair. Mr Roosevelt addressed members briefly, after which members adjourned to a conierencc-room for an hour’s discussion. At the conclusion Mr La Guardia sa.id : “United States members met the President and he outlined his views on the situation. Members then went into separate session to discuss procedure. We shall leave to-morrow for Ottawa for a meeting with the Canadian members. • The War Secretary (Mr H. L. Stimson) and the Naval Secretary (Colonel F. Knox) were also present when members met Mr Roosevelt. Mr Roosevelt an.i Cabinet met yesterday for two hours. It is reported that the proposed transfer of destroyers to Britain was considered, and also the leasing of British possessions in the Western Hemisphere. All the members of the Cabinet declined to comment, except the AttorneyGeneral (Mr R. Jackson) who. in replying to a question regarding the legality of- the transferring of the destroyers, said: “No opinion has been Senator Walsh has introduced a resolution for the summoning of the Senate, to which the Secretary of War will make a confidential report on the state of the nations, uetenccs ror consideration and debate at a secret session. The Federal Loan Administrator (Mr Jesse Jones) announces that the Reconstruction Finance Corporation has approved loans of 10.500 000 dollars to the Boeing Aircraft Company, and 18,587 855 dollars'to the Bendix Aviation Corporation, for aircraft plant expansion. NEW BASES.

A Honolulu message says the navy has granted contracts to five companies to construct 30 000,000 dollars air bases and other defence structures in the Western Hemisphere. It is also reported that the navy has begun preliminary work on a 5.000,000 dollar underground fuel storage project adjacent to Pearl Harbour. The navy yard contracts include projects at Oahu (Hawaii) and at Wake and Midway Islands in mid-Pacific.