Evening star., 1941-03-07
Bv ]. A. O'IEARY.

The administration won the
first real test on the British aid
bill today by defeating a move
tC prohibit American conveying
of goods anywhere except in the
Western Hemisphere or to points
under American control.
The roll call was So to %.
BaCkerS of the bill fought this and
similar amendments not because
they believe the bill contemplates
conveying. but because they feared
a series of restrictive amendments
would encourage aggressor nations
and lead them to believe that. no
matter what happens. the United
States will take no action outside
this hemisphere.
As soon as this initial victory had
been won. Majority Leader Barkley
announced the Senate would remain
in continuous session into the night,
instead of taking a two-hour recess
for dinner.
Blunt Prohibition"
The vote came on a proposal by
Senator OMahoney. Democrat. Of
Wyoming, offered as a substitute
to an ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
amendment by Senator Ellender,
Democrat. of Louisiana. The FL
lender amendment states that noth-
ing in the measure should be con-
Strued as changing existing laws
governing the land and naval forces.
While Senator OMahoney had
contended that his proposal as
originally drawn would rule out
conveys, he rewrote it slightly at
the suggestion of Senator Bone,
Democrat. of Washington, so that
Bone finally described it as "a blunt
prohibition against conveys
Chairman George of the Foreign
Relations Committee warned the
Senate that the OMahoney amend
ment, banning conveys only into
combat zones, is dangerous. because
there is narrow strip of the At
lantic still open between this coun-
try and Lisbon, Portugal
The OMahoney amendment. Sem
ator George said. would be "an out
right invitation to Germany and
Italy TO concentrate their sea
raiders on shipping in that narrow
channel
Passage Tonight Possible.
The OMahOneV amendment read
as follows;
without the consent of Congress,
no defense article which may be dis
posed of under Section 3 Cthe lease
or lend provision of this act shall
hereafter be delivered by or con-
voyed by the land. naval or air
forces of the United States, except
to points in or adjacent to North or
South America. or TO points subject
to the jurisdiction of the United
States"
The size of the vote against such
change, coupled with Senator
Barkley's announcement that no
dinner recess would be taken, gave
rise to remote hope of final passage
Ol lIle OIL tonight.
Meanwhile. President Roosevelt
declared at his press conference
that every days delay on the
measure would affect deliveries of
war materials later on TO what he
termed the democracies.
Asked whether the delay on the
legislation was having serious effect.
the President said at first he had
better rot answer.
But he went on to add that re-
porters were aware that he had
stated ever since the legislation was
submitted to Congress January 10)
that perhaps a delay at this time,
in February or early March. does
not affect immediate aid to the de-
mocracies, but will affect deliveries
a uttle later on.
Final passage Of the bill, hoped
for by early next week, if not to-
morrow, will command a margin
of approximately two to one, but
the roll call is likely to be close
on some of the limitations the
iSolationiStS will try to write in.
The reason is that a substantise
number of Senators who will vote
for the bill on passage also will
(See BRITISH AID, Page A-50