Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-01-27

htk CONSTITUTION gives Con-
" gross alone the power To
declare war and 10 raise and
SuEDoTt armies. To this latter
highly important grant the Con-
Stitut.o on attaches a condition,
but 10 appropriation of money
10 that use shall be for a longer
term than two years
Under the "loose-cnd' bill, the
President is given authority 10
transfer TO another nation any
"defen 20 article" he desires. The
words defense article" are de-
fine. 20 mean any conceivable
military or naval resource which
the United States OWNS may
hereafter acquire.
Mhen- this attacked as
surrender by Congress 10 the
Executive of its power of the
purse in war the answer is
made that the bill appropriates
no money and hence. that Con-
gross, through its power 10 APP
pirate, still controls action under
the bill.
Right Off the bat. II Is ap-
parent that as TO the many bill
lions Of dollars worth of military
and naval equipment that this
country now has. the answer
simply is not true The bill
gives the President authority 10
transfer il with no further ap-
preparation whatever.
NEITHER is il necessarily
~ true as 10 gifts of new
equipment. II is true. under the
biifi. that before he could. for
example. order a new battle
ship built expressly announced
as a gift 10 China. he would have
10 90 10 Congress for authority.
But there is a loophole that is
-is--hr.eat4 f-~-t-- iitsffff- ,ieof- In this
crisis. Congress has refused noL
appropriation 10 build armament
for the United States and il is
as sure as sunrise that it will
refuse none in the future.
But if this bill is passed. not
a nickel can be spent on arTna-
ment by this government, which
would not automatically fall
under the proposed grant OF
presidential power TO transfer
that armament TO another coun-
try as soon as il is finished or
even before.
He doesn't have TO 60 back 10
Congress for appropriations be-
fore he can transfer American
equipment and resources.
II is an even more complete
surrender of the power of the
purse in favor of other nations
than would even be openly re-
quested by a President in favor
OF The United States.
I'VE other apparent absurdity
L is the urge for haste in
passing this bill without debate
on the ground that the British
crisis may be expected within so
or 90 days and that every day
is delay and that this bill inn
perils her.
1t is we'll known in Washing
ton and WIS testified by Mr..
knudSen. no matter what new
orders Britain might give our
industry. no important additional
equipment can be made and
furnished to England within 90
days-or indeed for year.
Our most available factories
are chock-a-block full with
orders for ourselves and Britain.
To the extent that she may not
get production in time. il is al
most wholly her own fault in
not ordering il IN time. or in
changing designs after she had 4
ordered it. q
The only way we can aid Brit-s
ain more at once is to transfer
ships of our own navy and mer-
chant fleet; or tanks. planes and
guns of our own forces.
We haven't enough land or air
equipment on hand or immedi-
atelN forthcoming even TO train,
much less equip. our own troops.
and the President has said that
the Suggeg'iGn that he would
transfer our ms is Mother
Goose nonsense.
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