ington, July 9. RESIDENT Roosevelt yesterday told press correspondents that America's vital interests extend far out into the Atlantic, There are three points outside the commonly accepted Western Hemisphere limits which are most important to continental defence, he said.
The President, however, refused to draw a line separating the West ern from. the Eastern Hemisphere. Instead he projected the rule that effective defence of the Western Hemisphere would depend on pro-eeling areas of vital interest, He refused to discuss the possibilfty that America's vital interests might be menaced in the Cape Verde or Canary Islands.
President Roosevelt also declined to say whether he considered Iceland outside the margins of the Western Hemisphere: He said he had tried for weeks to draw a line of demaration and finally had abandoned the "Military Information"
The President refused to disclose whether American forces had been Sent to Greenland, over which th United States extended a protectorate several months ago. Such a question, he said, involved military information.
Without revealing whether he had received information that Germany Planned to move into Iceland, Presl~ Gent Roosevelt said that he had acted to forestall a movement which strateisis considered logical or likely.
President Roosevelt endorsed an Army recommendation to retain Na-Yfonat Guardsmen and conscripts on active duty one year longer than they are now authorized to be retained.
He said, however, that he would not send a2 message to Congress on ind the subject because he felt Congress already sufficiently understood the problem. The President pointed out that release of some troops might endanger American defence of Hawaii, JAlaska, Bermuda, Panama, Trinidad, Newfoundland and other distant bases—United Press, Washington, July 9.
'A despatch from London to the "New York Times" to the effect that the British were angry with Senator Burton K. Wheeler, well-known Isolationist from Montana, for giv-jing away a military secret involving British troops last week, when Sena-{tor Wheeler hinted at American occupation of Iceland, was the subject Of questions at a press conference yesterday.
"Mtr, Stephen Ear'y, President Roosevelt's secretary, in reply. labelled as this despatch, a fair statement which added—The Germans might have taken advantage of {that confusion and British troops, as well as United States marines and sailors, might have been involved, in the resultant slaughter.
Mtr. Early dismissed questions on reports that Genera} "Sir Claude Auchinleck, the ow British Commander-in-Chief in the Middle East, had said United States was needed to win the President's secretary asserted that th last thing he had heard from London was that Mfr. Churchill had said the [United states should give Britain fools and she would do the Job.
Mr. Early added: "I take It this eral is subordinate to the Prime Minister."
'When a reporter remarked that senator 'Wheeler apparently had good information on the occupation Iceland, Mr, Barly put the matter {in a. category' of picking a 20-toss winner ina. horse. race. which, he aid, was undoubledly what Sevator Wheeler did.
Mr, Early said he had not heard of the report from London that "an fir-line would be established between Teeiand "and the United. States—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.