Replying to a barrage of questions the President said those who enlarged on his statement would be wrong.
Mr. Welles would not go either to Finland or Russia.
President Roosevelt explained that while the United States had diplomatic representatives in the four countries Mr. Welles was visiting, he thought there was something in one mind visiting all four instead of four minds reporting from separate countries.
Mr. Welles would carry no special message and take no staff.
President Roosevelt also announced that Mr. Myron Taylor, recently appointed personal envoy of the President to the Vatican, will leave for Italy next week, probably also on February 17.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.