On the merits or demerits of these alternatives as to this very small part of the fleet of about 1,125,000 tons, our naval advisers are sharply divided.

I have not done so yet. It has not come in yet, but I will when it arrives.

The United States scraps three battleships, the British five, and Japan one, and postpones the enormous expenditure for renewals under the Washington Treaty until after 1936.

Now, the aircraft carriers, and the destroyers, and submarine programs of the treaty are fair, and they have not been subject to any particular criticism.

We accomplish that without building a single ship.

The program of the treaty does represent a decrease in destroyer and submarine strength.

I have also been glad to sign this morning two other bills of importance--one for the Civil War veterans, signed last night as a matter of fact--giving an increase in allowance there for totally disabled veterans, those that require…

I regard it as a very important administrative step.

It may form a nucleus for collecting further funds for that purpose, all of which represents a useful step in the development of scientific research in connection with industry.

Today nearly 70 years have passed since Lincoln spoke.

Every American's thought of this great battlefield of Gettysburg flashes with the instant vision of the lonely figure of Lincoln, whose immortal words dominate this scene.