Evening star., 1940-01-04
Quick Eouse Action
Sought on 50 Million
Loan 10 Finland
Bill Contains No Strings;
Pittmun Forecasts
Immediate Aid

Immediate financial and other
practical aid to Finland was FORE
cast today by Chairman Pittman Of
the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee as quick action was sought
in the House on a proposal for a
60,0OO 900 loan to Finland.
Bills which may be introduced
authorizing financial or other aid
by our Government to Finland, y
Senator Pittman said. probably
will be the first proposed legislation
on foreign affairs we will have to
consider. If the question OF emer-
gency, in view of Finland's plight, is
raised the proposals will have to
be taken up at once
Representative Hook, Democrat,
of Michigan said he planned to
confer with House leaders today in
an effort to expedite action on a bill
he introduced yesterday which
would authorize the Secretary OF the
Treasury to make an unrestricted
loan of $60,000,000 to Finland.
No Strings to Loan.
Mr.. Hooks bill stipulates that no
strings be tied to the loan, so that 1t
may be used to meet Finland's gen
eral requirements" Thus the money
could be used to buy airplanes and
other war materials here, he ex-
planned.
His proposal, by authorizing the
Secretary of the Treasury to ne
gotiate the loan directly, would not
affect the Export-1mport Bank,
which has a limited capital and a
long-standing policy against lending
money to any foreign country for
military purposes. The Export-1m-
port Bank and the Reconstruction
Finance Corp. last month lent Fin
land $40 100000 for civilian needs.
Another bill introduced in the
House yesterday, by Representative
Smith, Democrat, of Washington,
would suspend payments by Finland
on her present debt to this country
and provide for relending her the
more than $5,OOO000 she already has
paid. Mr.. Hook said he understood,
however, that Finland would rather
continue payments on this debt as
due in order to keep its record
clear as a debt-paying nation.
AS a form of protest against Rus
sian aggression in Finland and
spread of Communistic propaganda
in this country, Representative
Bolles, Republican, Of Wisconsin
offered a bill calling for breaking
off diplomatic relations with the
Soviet Union.
Representative Mccormack, Demo
crat, of Massachusetts indicated he
would make an attempt to withhold
funds for the maintenance of ar
Embassy or diplomatic corps in Mos
COW when the State Department ap.
preparation bill reaches the House.
Bill Goes to Committee.
Mr.. Hooks 100000, 900 Finnish loar
bill was referred to the House Ways
and Means Committee.
Similar proposals are under dis
cussion in Senate corridors, includ-
ing provisions for loans ranging
from s50,0OOOOO to 100000, 900, re.
mission of Finlands debt payments
and removal of restrictions on thu
recent 100000 loan.
Chairman Pitman said question
worthy of consideration by oul
statesmen" was to what extent the
United States might be justified in
going beyond technical neutrality
in assisting victims of aggression "as
a matter of self defense-a self de-
fense which superseded the require
ments of neutrality"
He added that another question
which he expected would be con-
sidered soon by the Foreign Rela-
tions Committee was his resolution
authorizing the President to forbid
export of munitions, iron, steel, oil
scrap iron and other metals tt
Japan 'in view of the conduct o.
Japan in China toward our citizens
| The Pittmau resolution u slatet