NEUTRALITY ACT MAY GO

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22066, 12 September 1941, Page 5

NEUTRALITY ACT MAY GO

PRESIDENT CONFERS WITH CABINET World Awaits Speech By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (8.25 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Sept. 11. President Roosevelt arrived from Hyde Park and immediately conferred with Mr Cordell Hull (Secretary of State), Mr H. L. Stimson (Secretary of 'War) and Colonel Frank Knox (Secretary of the Navy). It is expected that his Thursday night speech will announce steps taking the United States closer to war, such as the abandonment of the Neutrality Act, the convoying of ships everywhere and the firing on all enemy craft. Mr Roosevelt also may ask for up to six billion dollars for additional Lend and Lease funds. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says that the President convokes Congress on Monday or Tuesday and will ask for the repeal of the Neutrality Act. He will receive Congressional leaders, includ-

ing Republicans to-morrow and inform them of the far-reaching steps he plans to take to meet the crisis which many persons think bears a close parallel to that of spring 1917. The State Department disclosed that statements from survivors of the Sessa revealed that a German submarine torpedoed and shelled the vessel without warning. The Sessa sank within two minutes.

Observers predict that in his broadcast to-morrow President Roosevelt will announce drastic changes in America’s Atlantic patrol policy. Some expect him to direct American ships to sink on sight any hostile submarines and aircraft discovered in the sea lanes between America and Iceland. The speaker (Mr Sam Rayburn) has summoned the House of representatives for Monday—a week earlier than was arranged. The Steel Seafarer’s cargo is officially described as “typical Lend and Lease cargo,” says the British United Press correspondent at Cairo. It consisted of miscellaneous stores, also light machinery, but no tanks. The cargo represented less than two per cent of the total shipments under the Lend and Lease Act which have reached the Middle East safely.