Washington, Nov. 15, ILE Army and Navy officials today rushed plans for the greatest American peace-ime armament programme in the country's history, President Roosevelt told the press that the defence problem had ceased to involve merely the United States, but em braced the entire western hemisphere. The President said tha Canada and the Latin American Republics consequently shared in the responsibility of keeping the New World safe from invasion from other continents. In one of the most significant defence statements made by an American President since the Great War Mr. Roosevelt said that the United States did not anticipate any defections from present hemispheric solidarity."
The President revealed that Amer~ lea's new and enlarged defence programme was being planned in view Of continental solidarity against pos-Sible slack from other continents. He said that it was evident that the present safety of the Western Hemis-Phere was "too low, The rapid development of aircraft was one of {tie most important factors considered by the United States dratting pling for the defence of the Western Hemisphere in ce-opera~ ton with Canada and the Latin Americsn Republics, He said that Monday's conference of the nation's defence leaders here had concentra ed its atlension on aircraft.
Asked whether the United States contemplated the construction of a fect capable of defending both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts simultane ously, the President replied that Such a move wes not contemplated at present.
Asked to name some of the specific dangers facing the Western World, the President tersely advised his questioner to read the newspapers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.