Washington, June 7.
RESIDENT Roosevelt yesterday signed the Congress-approved bill authorizing the Government to requisition all immobilized foreign vessels in American harbours, and, by an executive order, empowered the U.S, Maritime Commission to take over the vessels.
When -or whether French vessels in American harbours will be taken ever was not indicated.
Mr, Roosevelt, at his press con ference, said that he did not know whether the French vessels would taken over. Coast Guardsmen ore now stationed aboard all French vessels in American ports.
Mr, Roosevelt announced at his press conference that he had signed the ship requisitioning bill and said ho. had issed an. executive order authorizing the Maritime Commis sion to purchase, requisition charter idle ships in US, waters, including the Philippines and the Canal Zone, He noted especially that the execu-five order permits the ships to oper ate to any neutral country in the west hemisphere, and also. permits the United States to charter these ships to any neutral country in the west hemisphere,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.