The President's News Conference

THE PRESIDENT. There is a partial famine today. All of the notes that I have on questions are really for background material. I haven't anything for direct quotation.

FARM RELIEF BILL

The subcommittee of the House Agricultural Committee called this afternoon and presented the draft of their farm relief bill. They informed me that the bill was formulated after 2 months of consideration and conferences with various agricultural associations and individuals interested; that it is their belief that it is a sound measure and that it conforms to the pledges of the Republican Party. I replied to the committee that I would at once study the draft and would confer with them about it, probably tomorrow. The subcommittee also stated that the House Agricultural Committee was by a large majority opposed to the export bonus plan or the debenture plan.

TRANSFER OF BUREAU OF PROHIBITION

I have a number of questions bearing on the transfer of the Bureau of Prohibition to the Department of Justice. You are all aware that I have held that this transfer ought to be made. But probably arising out of the fact that the two departments are engaged on a joint study of the method of transfer, there has been some suggestion of delaying action. I do not see how this can be undertaken in the present Congress in view of the arrangements as to the organization of the House, which I understand are settled by the leaders of the House. In any event, it would not be possible to give consideration to the introduction of such a measure in the special session until we saw how the session was coming along, but it seems improbable that any legislative action will be taken this session.

Q. Mr. President, on that point you seem to have convinced yourself that it takes legislative action--cannot be done by Executive action?

THE PRESIDENT. There is no question on that. I have never heard any other suggestion to the contrary.

NAVAL LIMITATIONS

I have some questions relating to our policies on naval limitations or reductions. Ten days ago I made rather a full statement on the purpose of the Preparatory Commission on Disarmament, on which [p.67] Ambassador [Hugh] Gibson represents us. That is the sole mission of the American delegates. Nor is it the purpose of that Commission, so far as I know, to undertake any questions except the technical, preparatory character as outlined in the formation of that Commission some years ago. No instructions have been given to Mr. Gibson or anyone else to undertake negotiations leading to further conferences on naval limitations, and there are absolutely no negotiations of that character in progress either formally or informally.

RAPIDAN CAMP

Someone also has asked what I propose to do on the headwaters of the Rapidan this summer. I have given direction that a tent, or two or three tents, will be erected at some elevation about 2,500 feet in a grove of woods on the bank of the brook, and I shall obtain access to that spot on horseback, a distance of some 5 miles from a road leading into the park, which will probably not be completed for 2 months, and I will in the meantime go through there in a Ford car. That is all the details I have. After I have had some experience there I hope to decide where I could erect a couple of log cabins or some important establishment of that kind.