The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-14
SENATE VOTES FUND
FOR THE RED CROSS
Continued From Page One)

Fate cOnpany-aS is being done
with warplanes and other items,
but was very much opposed to any
direct transaction on the ground
that it would constitute an act of
war. There had been talk, it was
said, of this government selling
some of its destroyers to the Allies.
A joint senate-house conference
committee cleared the way today
for final congressional action on
legislation which would facilitate
indirect assistance to France and
Britain. It approved an amend
ment to an army bill empowering
the war department to trade in"
surplus military equipment a n d
munitions az part payment on new
supplies. The old material, which
is to be turned back to manufac-
turers, will become available to
the Allies.
Received Appeal
During the day, the White House
said that just before President
Roosevelt spoke at Charlottesville,
Va, last Monday, pledging tn e
material resources of the United
States to the Allies, Premier Rey-
maud of France had handed the
American embassy in Paris an ap-
peal for a pledge of all American
assistance except troops. II e
White House explained, however,
that this was a coincidence and
that Mr.. Roosevelt had not seen
the communication when he deliv-
cred his speech.
1.-THE coincidence" said Stephen
T. Early, the Presidents secretary
would indicate that the President
is entirely familiar with the French
situation"
He said the Presidents speech
was a complete answer to the Rey-
maud appeal, although Mr.. Roose-
welt was ignorant of the appeal at
the time.
Another development was a re-
port that Col. Charles A. Linbergh
who met with a group of legisla-
tors yesterday, had told them that
the United States could not be sue
cessfully invaded ''in our lifetime"
He was quoted as saying that
he had spent six months in Green
land looking for a site for a COM
mercial air base and found that
country so unsuitable that it was
preposterous to think that any in
vading country could establish mi
litary air bases there.
To make an invasion OF the UNIT
ed States possible from the south,
he said, the invading nation would
first have to establish not only
air bases but also machine shops
and manufacturing plants in Latin
America. ALI present at the con-
ference agreed, it was said, tnat
such an encroachment could no
be tolerated by the United States. 4
Other Developments
There were numerous other devel-
opments related to the war and de-
tense situations:
~ The total of warplanes made
available to the Allies rose to 2o5
with the release of 80 Northrup at
tack craft, abandoned last fall In
favor of long-range light bombers.
(2) Legislation %forcefully restating
the Monroe doctrine was approved
nv the house rules committee for
early consideration on the floor.
(3) Senator Downey (D-CaD said
Ambassadors Bullitt and Kennedy
and President Roosevelt had predict
ed what has happened in Europe In
recent weeks and added that IN spite
Of this advance information, the
President, congress and the army and
navy have mot met this crisis which
has been developing in the last two
years"
"a, Rep. Celler (D-NY) introduced
legislation to repeal the neutrality
act and called the latter a shallow
fiction"
(5) Senator Wheeer (D-Mont) wav'
cd 9. thick stack Of kilograms IN She
senate and said that all but a re"
anplauded his statement of yesterday
hat he would break with the demo-
cratic party if it became a war
party"
(6) Construction of a line OF OBJ
serva+ion towers for defense purposes
along the Mexican and Canadian
borders to be manned with enlisted
.rrov MOI and federal bureau Of in.