We are ahead of schedule in building warships but we are working to get even further ahead of that schedule To change a whole nation from a basis of peacetime production of implements of peace to a basis of wartime production of implements of war is no small task. The greatest dif f iculty comes at the beg inning of the program, when new tools, and new plant facilities, new assembly lines, new shipways must f irst be constructed before the actual material begins to flow steadily and speedily from them The Congress of course, must rightly keep itself inf ormed at all times of the progress of the program. However, there is certain information, as the Congress itself will readily recognize, which, in the interests of our own security and those of the nations that we are supporting must of needs be kept in conf idence New circumstances are constantly be getting new needs for our safety. I shall ask this Congress for greatly increased new appropriations and authorizations to carry on what we have begun. I also ask this Congress for authority and for funds suff icient to manuf acture additional munitions and war supp lies of many kinds, to be turned over to those nations which are now in actual war with aggressor nations. Our most useful and immediate role is to act as an arsenal for them as well as for ourselves. they do not need manpower but they do need bill ions of dollars worth of the weapons of defense The time is near when they will not be a ble to pay for them all in ready cash. We cannot, and we will not tell them that they must surrender merely because of present ina bility to pay for the weapons which we know they must have i do not recommend that we make them a loan of dollars with which to pay for these weapons--a loan to be repaid in do llars. I recommend that we make it possible for those nations to continue to obtain war materials in the United States, f itting their orders into our own program. And nearly all of their material would if the time ever came be useful in our own defense Taking counsel of expert military and naval author ities, considering what is best for our own security we are free to decide how much should be kept here and how much should be sent abroad to our friends who, by the ir determ ined and heroic resistance, are giving us time in which to make ready our own defense For what we send abroad we shall be repaid, repaid within a reasonable time follow ing the close of hostilities, repaid in similar materia ls, or at our option in other goods of many kinds which they can produce and which we need Let us say to the democracies: We americans are vita lly concerned in your defenseWe are ahead of schedule in building warships, but we are working to get even further ahead of that schedule. To change a whole nation f rom a basis of peacetime production of implements of peace to a basis of wartime production of implements of war is no small task. The greatest dif ficulty comes at the beginning of the program, when new tools, and new plant facilities, new assembly lines, new shipways must first be constructed before the actual material begins to flow steadily and speedily f rom them. The Congress of course, must rightly keep itself informed at all times of the progress of the program. However, there is certain information, as the Congress itself will readily recognize, which, in the interests of our own security and those of the nations that we are supporting, must of needs be kept in confidence. New circumstances are constantly begetting new needs for our safety. I shall ask this Congress for greatly increased new appropriations and authorizations to carry on what we have begun. I also ask this Congress for authority and for funds sufficient to manufacture additional munitions and war supplies of many kinds, to be turned over to those nations which are now in actual war with aggressor nations. Our most useful and immediate role is to act as an arsenal for them as well as for ourselves. They do not need manpower, but they do need billions of dollars’ worth of the weapons of defense. The time is near when they will not be able to pay for them all in ready cash. We cannot, and we will not, tell them that they must surrender merely because of present inability to pay for the weapons which we know they must have. I do not recommend that we make them a loan of dollars with which to pay for these weapons -- a loan to be repaid in dollars. I recommend that we make it possible for those nations to continue to obtain war materials in the United States, fitting their orders into our own program. And nearly all of their material would, if the time ever came, be useful in our own defense. Taking counsel of expert military and naval authorities, considering what is best for our own security, we are f ree to decide how much should be kept here and how much should be sent abroad to our f riends who, by their determined and heroic resistance, are giving us time in which to make ready our own defense. For what we send abroad we shall be repaid, repaid within a reasonable time following the close of hostilities, repaid in similar materials, or at our option in other goods of many kinds which they can produce and which we need. Let us say to the democracies: "We Americans are vitally concerned in your defense