Excerpts of the President's News Conference

I have already extended half holidays for the Government employees to the very closely breaking point. It was done at their request. So that I am not expecting to have another addition to their half holidays because Captain Lindbergh is going to be in Washington on Saturday next. He isn't to arrive here until 12:00 o'clock. It is now planned to have the ceremony bestowing the Distinguished Flying decoration upon him something like an hour after his arrival. I am advising the Departments, however, that those of their people that are not needed to keep the departments running will be permitted to go out at 12:00 o'clock. That will give them plenty of time to attend the ceremonies which will be at 1:00.

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Of course, I can't speak as an expert regarding the appearance of the fleet at the review which I attended last Saturday. I was naturally very much impressed with the fine appearance that was made by the fleet, both in the large number of vessels that passed by and in their generally efficient appearance. We had but a few of our destroyers there. We have a great many of them. We have a good many battleships and cruisers and an airplane carrier and a hospital ship, which is the only hospital ship in the world which was built exclusively for that purpose in serving a national navy. I don't think that anyone could have viewed the parade of the ships that went by with the knowledge that it was only a part of our fleet, without realizing that we have, as everyone knows, one of the most powerful navies in the world.