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065 CONFIDENTIAL Press Conference #88, Executive Offices of the White House, January 15, 1934, 10.40 A.M. (This Press Conference was held for the financial experts in order to explain the President's Message of January 15, 1934, to the Congress) THE PRESIDENT: Are these the only people out of all the White House correspondents who know anything about finance? (Laughter) Q We are the only ones who admit that we do not. (Laughter) THE PRESIDENT: The easiest way, I think, is for me to read this re- lease to you. MR. EARLY: They already have it. THE PRESIDENT: I just want to say one or two things. In the first place, Steve (Mr. Early) wanted me to stress that all this is in confidence until the Message is released and nothing is to be said in advance of the release. Q By the way, when will the release be made? THE PRESIDENT: As soon as it gets up there to Congress. I don't know whether it is released up there before it is read by the Clerk or not, but I see by the heading "until its reading has begun in the Senate or in the House." Now, in a nutshell, the first portion of this, down to the first line, might be called philosophical. In other words, it merely goes into the general theory that the issuance of money or currency or any medium of exchange is solely a government prerog- ative and always has been since the days of Babylon or the time they used sea shells or coral shells in the South Sea Islands. In