The President's Week

Last week the President:

> Asked Congress to add $728,767,000, including $289,065,000 for the Army Air Corps, to the $6.000,000,000 War Department budget (fiscal year 1942).

> Approved plans to graduate the 1942 Annapolis class on Dec. 19 this year (six months early).

> Proclaimed that a state of war exists between Hungary and Yugoslavia, noting that Hungary attacked Yugoslavia "without justification." Three days later Yugoslavs surrendered to the Nazis.

> Pledged to the American Society of Newspaper Editors that free speech and a free press would remain sacrosanct liberties in the U.S., that only vital military information would be suppressed.

> Congratulated the A.S.P.C.A. on its 75th anniversary during "Be Kind to Animals Week."

> Saw his popularity (via Gallup poll) reach a new all-time peak of 73%, breaking all records for his eight years in office --18% greater popular approval than his 55% Third Term vote of confidence in November.

> Commended CCC, in a message on its eighth anniversary, as "builder of the kind of men this nation needs."

> Recalled that in December he had explained the Lend-Lease idea by comparing it to a person who lends his garden hose to a neighbor whose house is on fire. Last week, checking over the first list of non-military items asked by the British Purchasing Commission, Mr. Roosevelt noted the last three entries. They provided for a total of 900,000 feet of fire hose; cost: $300,000.

> Negotiated at Hyde Park with Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King an agreement between the U.S. and Canada to coordinate production facilities (see p. 27). In a seven-hour session the two agreed to exchange defense materials. Canada's dollar exchange will be bolstered by the sale of machine tools, aluminum, ships (perhaps), an unspecified number of Bren machine guns to the U.S. for some $200,000,000 to $300,000,000. Canadian economy, threatened by its sale of wheat, war supplies, etc. to Great Britain for sterling--supplies Britain now gets from the U.S. on a lend-lease basis--will get dollars, and materials it cannot produce. The agreement in effect circumvents the Neutrality Act (which still bars loans to belligerents).

> Noting "an acute shortage of doctors" in Britain, appealed this week, as president of the American National Red Cross, for 1,000 young volunteer U.S. doctors to go to Britain to help civilian and military wounded in Nazi air raids.

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