November 4, 1939: The Neutrality Act of 1935 was modified to allow belligerents to purchase arms from private companies in the US on a "Cash and Carry" basis.
May 31, 1940: Roosevelt introduced a "billion-dollar defense program" to boost American military capability. Supplementary expenditures were announced in the following months.
June 13, 1940: The first surplus stocks of American rifles and artillery weapons were shipped to the UK in response to prior requests made by Churchill to Roosevelt during the Battle of France. The Neutrality Act was circumvented by first selling the arms to a steel company and then reselling them to the British government.
June 27, 1940: The American Secretary of State met with British and Australian representatives and discussed the Japanese threat. No agreements were reached.
July 25, 1940: The US prohibited the export of oil to countries outside the Americas and Great Britain. This decision was confirmed on August 1, 1941 when it is modified to include aviation fuel and allow exports to all countries of the British Empire as well.
August 16, 1940: Roosevelt announced discussions with the UK on the acquisition of bases for western hemisphere defense. He did not disclose that the British wanted old destroyers in return.
September 2, 1940: The US transferred 50 old destroyers to the UK in return for bases in the West Indies and Bermuda.
September 16, 1940: The Selective Service Bill became law. All males between the ages 21-35 were now subject to compulsory induction into the armed forces.
September 26, 1940: An embargo on scrap iron and steel exports to Japan was initiated.
October 5, 1940: The Secretary of the Navy condemned the Tripartite Pact (signed by Germany, Italy and Japan on September 27th) and announced a partial call-up of the naval reserve.
November 21, 1940: The Dies report on German and Communist espionage and subversive activities in the USA was published. It wildly overestimated their impact and called for preventive measures.
November 23, 1940: The British Ambassador to the United States publicly stated that the UK was running out of money to pay for arms purchases.
