Evening star., 1941-01-20
Air Forum Speakers
Back British Aid, but
Differ on Methods
Congress Members Argue
Question of Power for
President or Congress

sISSiOSut VI SOHSicSS
While members of Congress on
last nights American Forum of the
Air, broadcast from the Willard
Hotel, supported aid to Britain short
Of war, there were sharp differences
as to whether this aid could best be
extended through the agency of the
executive or legislative branches of
Government.
Chief exponent of the theory that
aid could best be extended by Con-
gress without extension of discre-
tionary powers to the President was
Senator c. Brooks. Republican of
Illinois, who defeated Democratic
Senator Slattery in the last elec-
ton.
Senator Brooks described the
lease-lend bill as a "take-away-for-
keeps bill"-one which is designed
ito take away the responsibilities of
Congress and place them in the
hands of forces that for eight years
have tried constantly, through vari-
Gus other means, to centralize those
powers in single hands"
Such an argument, replied former
Senator Gibson of Vermont, new
chairman of the Committee to De-
fend America by Aiding the Allies,
''is more tenuous than the summer
inoonbeams, more light than the
ocean froth."
Argument Called Absurd.
Indeed" he added, 1T is difficult
for me to believe that it is put forth
seriously because of its manifest
absurdity."
He said the power delegated to
the President could be returned to
Congress after the emergency or
"at any proper time" The lease
lend bill, .he declared, merely pro-
vides for delegating certain authority
to the President during the period
of the emergency, to the end that
those things which we all desire may
be accomplished as speedily as pos
Eible."
Senator Nye. Republican, of North
Dakota, said the fundamental OBJ
jections to this bill are in no way
related to the issue of helping
Britain to win her war. the war
which she herself declared.
What help that is short of war might
We now give Britain that isn't al
ready being given, or that can not be
given by a Congress that has over
whelminglv granted help 1t could
consider short of war?'"
The lease-lend bill, he said, "is
the most brazen request ever made.
request upon Congress to surrender
every bit of control it possesses to
check or halt the march to war.
request for presidential power greater
than was ever accorded even a war
time President"
Says Britain Has Resources.
He maintained that Great Britain
has plenty of resources to carry on
the war. Lets quit mincing words,
he said. This present howl is not
occasioned by fear of the outcome
of the war for England nearly so
much as by fear that England may
have to pay for her own war, and |
by some Americans who probably |
encouraged England to take the
war route"
Representative May, Democrat of
Kentucky, chairman of the House
Military Affairs Committee, de-
scribed Hitler as IAN international
bandit" and said the United States
must aid Britain because "she is
holding our lifeline and fighting our
battle"
Extemporaneous debate followed
the delivery of prepared papers by
the speakers in which Senator
Brooks repeated the question:
what does this bill allow us to do
short Of war that we are not al
ready doing or cannot do without
passing it?"
Representative May said 1t al
lowed loans to Britain.
Then you can repeal the johnson
Act instead" replied Senator Brooks.
Says Bill Guides Arms Flow.
Mr.. Gibson said the lease-lend bill
gives authority to regulate the flow
OF material aid to the British as a
changing situation and their needs
and ours make it necessary to do"
Senator Nye asked what danger
there was in meeting the problems
as they arose through the peoples
representatives in Congress.
That's just what France did"
retorted Mr.. Gibson" and look at
France now"
The studio audience of more than
800 was less unruly than usual.
Theodore Crank, moderator of the
forum, had distributed a mimeo-
graphed memorandum appealing for
order during the program"
During the last few weeks" the
memorandum said, I'VE have re-
ceived thousands of complaints from
all parts of the country criticizing
audience behavior