Evening star., 1939-07-03


last week passed neutrality bill
containing arms embargo ,0hich
administration opposes. Senate
has not acted. Continuance of
Presidents extraordinary none
tary poUers Was uoted by House,
lost in Senate flibuSter. Vote is
set for Wednesday.
BY the Associated Press.
The administrations neutrality
and lending programs held the KEY
today to congressional adjournment.
with every indication of fresh rebel
lions over both issues.
Most legislators are out Of the
Capital over the Independence Day
recess, but those still at their desks
thought President Roosevelt would
tell his lieutenants this week whether
they should try to force through
those two controversial measures or
let the session end in mid-July.
Leaders were reconsidering their
strategy in view of the House re-
fusal to repeal the existing arms en-
barge and the Republican speech
making coup in the Senate which
prevented immediate extension of
the Presidents monetary powers.
The Senate will vote Wednesday on
the monetary bill.
Most anti administration Senators
contended it would be futile for their
chamber to take up the neutrality
question. The House bill, rewritten
to retain most of the present en-
barge provision, aroused far greater
opposition than leaders had eX-
pected.
They agreed that Senate debate
not only would extend into August.
but would be the most fiery of anv
since the League of Nations fight
after the World War.
Lending Bill Due Next Week.
| Legislation to provide for the
Presidents s3860,000,000 lending
program probably will not be ready
for another week. but Republicans
already have indicated they will
/ fight its enactment as strongly as
they opposed continuation OF his
| power to devalue the dollar.
The program has received partic-
ular criticism from some members
of both parties on one score-ex-
tension of s5O0,000000 in loans to
foreign countries for development
of American commerce.
representative Martin, Republi-
can, of Massachusetts,, the minority
leader in the House, said at SPRING
field. Mo. Saturday night that the
program was only scheme to
prime the 1910 elections"
| Although adjournment minded
legislators were interested primarily
in learning what the administration
wanted to do next, leaders in the
Senate centered their efforts on OBJ
tanning approval of the monetary
legislation.
The Presidents dollar devaluation
power and the Treasurys authority
to maintain the $4,000, 100000 stabili-
cation fund expired last Friday mid
night, but Attorney General Murphy
has said that they will go into force
automatically when, and if, the
measure continuing them is en-
/ acted.
Wagner Sees $3.50 Chance.
Republicans who joined with Sen
ate silverites in the original oppo-
sition to the bill hoped they could
kill it finally Wednesday, BY talk
ing through the Friday midnight
deadline they had held up a vote
over the holiday week end.
Senator Wagner, Democrat, of
New York, floor manager of the bill,
told reporters that he was not sure
of a majority, but that the chances
were better than $3.50 for enacting
the legislation.
Some legislators took issue with
the Attorney Generals opinion that
the monetary powers can be restored
by the pending bill.
Senator Gurney, Republican, of
South Dakota said that common
sense indicates that an expired
power cannot be continued" but
Senator Norris. independent, of Ne
braska asserted that if the bill passes
there is not the slightest doubt that
the Presidents devaluation powers
will be continued"
The monetary fight developed a
dramatic previeW of the issues for
the 1910 campaign, with Republicans
denouncing presidential monetary
powers and administration Demo-
Gratis contending that only continu-
ance of those powers could protect
the country against currency depre-
citation by other nations.
ALREADY a 1910 Issue"
Senator Vandenberg, Republican,
of Michigan, a leader of the fight
against the monetary bill, told re-
porters it already is an issue" for
the next campaign.
The legislation has approved by
joint Senate House Committee last
Thursday would retain the dollar
devaluation power, continue the sta
bilization fund, permit foreign silver
purchases, and fix the price of do
mestically-mined silver at Till cents
an ounce.
Administration forces took en-
couragement in the fact that silver
State Senators indicated they would
accept the modified bill.
In the event the Senate decides
to take up the neutrality question,
the entire subject of American for
eign policy will be threshed out in
extensive debate. A sizable bi-parti-
san bloc has organized to oppose any
change in the present neutrality
law, which forbids the sale of arms
to belligerents whenever the Presi-
dent finds that state of war exists.
| l. -