Evening star., 1939-02-28
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Twelve Senators proposed today
Constitutional amendment to give
the people the sole right to declare
an overseas war.
The resolution would provide for
q national referendum on whether
such a war should be declared. The
referendum would be held when
Congress deemed "a National crisis
! to exist"
A referendum would not be neces-
sary for a declaration of war, how
ever, in case of attack, or immedi-
ately threatened attack, on the
United States or its possessions.
Neither would a referendum be held
If any non-American nation at
tackled or threatened to attack any
country in the Western Hemisphere.
Check on Secret Diplomacy.
Senator La Toilette. Progressive,
of Wisconsin, one of the signers of
the referendum proposal, said in a
' statement that it would be " final
check against secret diplomacy that
may decoy us into a foreign war
against our will. "
mo President would deliberately
plot to embroil us in a foreign war
against our will" Senator La Fol-
lette said, "but he may take
series of dangerous steps that add
up to a virtual commitment. 1t
did happen herein 1917
Besides Senator La Toilette, sign
&rs of the resolution were Senators
Bone of Washington, Clark of Idaho,
Clark of Missouri, Donahey of Ohio
and Murray and Wheeler of Mon
tana, all Democrats; Capper of
Kansas, Frazier of North Dakota
and Nye of North Dakota, Repub-
licans; Lundeen and Shipstead, both
Minnesota, Farmer-Laborites.
Earlier Senator Borah, Republic
an, of Idaho, said the administra-
tion's Air Corps and Army expan-
\sion bill was "just lot of bluff and
jitterism."
Need for $500 Planes Denied.
Senator Borah, ranking minority
member of the Senate Foreign Re-
lations Committee, told reporters the
$500 additional planes which would
be authorized under the program
''are more than the Army can USE"
He said military experts had ad-
mitted this to him.
"If it weren't for a bad case of
,jitters," the veteran added, they
>(the administrator never would
have suggested that we decorate
that sand dune on the other side of
the Pacific"
He referred to the administration
suggestion, rejected by the House,
that a naval base be established on
the tiny island of Guam in the
Western Pacific.
Senator Borah said he would make
a Senate speech on the bill later.
An outburst of oratory on foreign
policy has forced Senate leaders to
abandon plans for quick passage of
the bill.
A series of lengthy addresses that
started yesterday showed signs of
continuing for several days. A dozen
Senators, including Borah and Nye,
Republican, of North Dakota, waited
their turn to carry on the debate.
The bill, which would carry out
q major portion of President Roose-
velt's defense program, would pro-
vide $3O0OOO.O0O for Air Corps ex-
pansion, s23,75O,OOO for Panama
Canal defenses and $34,5OO0O0 for
educational orders" to familiarize
manufacturers with Army needs
Senator Clark, Democrat, of Mis-
souri, served notice he would fight
for an amendment limiting the
Army to $500 planes, the total voted
by the House The Senate COM
mittee approved limit of 5000.
Army Drops Proposal.
Senator Johnson, Democrat, of
. Colorado, disclosed that one point
of controversy had been removed by
an Army decision to withdraw it's
support of a proposal exempting the
educational orders" from existing
labor standards legislation.
The present law forbids Govern
ment contracts with manufacturers
who fail to observe designated labor
standards.
John L. Lewis of the C. I. o. called
yesterday on Senator Barkley, the
Democratic leader, to urge that the
Army exemption be eliminated.
Despite indications of prolonged
debate, all conceded the bill would
be approved by a big majority. One