Evening star., 1940-02-25
Fight on Finnish Loan
Restrictions Goes
To House tuesday
Rules Committee PIuns
Meeting to Consider
Risht-ef-Woy Move
Nv L. A. OTEARY.

The effort that failed in the House
Banking Committee to make Ameri-
can aid to Finland more effective,
by not restricting the loan to nom
military supplies, will be renewed
when the bill is taken up for de-
bate in the House Tuesday, it was
learned last night.
Meanwhile, the Rules Committee
arranged to meet at 10:30 am. to-
morrow to consider special rule to
give right of way to the measure,
which adds 100000 to the gen.
eral lending authority of the Export
Import Bank. with discretionary
power to allot s20,0OO,OOO of that
amount to the Firms. AS it passed
the Senate and came out of House
Committe. however. it provides that
this public credit could be used only
to purchase articles not listed as
arms or implements of war in the
Presidents neutrality proclamation.
Representative Miller, Republican,
of Connecticut, announced last night
he would move on the floor to make
the $20,0O00O0 allotment for Fin
land more specific, and to permit
its use for anything the Firms legally
may purchase in this country, in
cluding munitions and aircraft.
Eaton Backs Objective.
Representative Eaton, Republican,
OF New Jersey, also made known
he favors the same general obiec-
tive, and may offer one or more
amendments after he had studied
the scope of the bill as reported.
Mr.. Eaton expressed the opinion
that public sentiment in this coun-
try is in favor of going further to
assist the Firms in their fight for
independence than Congress thus
far proposes to go.
In support of this belief, the New
Jersey member revealed that some
OF the letters he has received re-
Gently on the subject from indi-
vidual citizens have inclosed checks
for small amounts, made out to
the order of the government of Fin
land, and Mr.. Eaton said he had
turned them over to the representa-
tive of the Finnish government here.
Only Two Changes Made.
All indications are, however, that
the House will pass the bill in sub
stantially the form in which it
came from committee. One in
f1uential Democrat said amendments
beaten in committee would have
slim chance of approval on the
floor.
The committee made only two
changes in the Senate text: One to
permit the Export Import Bank to
finance the export of commercial
airplanes; the other, to apply to
this new fund of the bank the
johnson Act, which forbids loans to
countries in default on their past
debts to the United States.
This second amendment would not
interfere with credit to Finland,
which has never been in default to
this country. Federal Loan Admin
istrator Jesse Jones told the House
committee the bank has not and
will not make loans in conflict with
the johnson Act.
Commercial Aircraft Exemption.
The exemption for commercial
aircraft was adopted following testi-
mony that belligerent nations would
not be interested in obtaining such
planes for the purpose of converting
them to fighting ships.
Acting Chairman Williams of
Missouri, in charge of the bill fo1
the Banking Committee. said he
thought two or three hours of debate
would be sufficient to ask for in the
special rule tomorrow This lnita-
ton would pave the way for passage
late Tuesday.
If the two committee amendments
are adopted the bill would have to
60 back to the Senate, which could
either accept the changes and send
the bill to the White House for
signature or seek a conference with
the House.