The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-09

and hearts of a great many peo-
me-, who have called the bill a
blank check and a prelude to
dictatorship.
ut strikes me-" he said, that
any limitation which is reasonable
should be included. . If it
makes people feel a little better
about it, it helps our program"
Also rejected were an amend
ment by Rep. Fish (R.-NY) pro-
hibiting the use of American parts
for repairing belligerent warships.
and another by Rep. Van Zandt
(R.-Pa.) which would have forbid
den the President to send troops
outside the western hemisphere.
After nearly a full week of de-
bate on the measure. tempers were
near the swapping point. Charges
of the use of improper language
were shouted and denied. and at
one point Rep. Fish (Ry.-Ly), the
leader of the republican opposi-
ton, heatedly accused the admin
istration leadership of applying a
gag rule"
Meanwhile, the Senate Foreign
Relations committee received from
ALI. M. Landon, the 1896 republi-
can presidential nomine, a state
ment that he could not conceive
of any danger to our American
democracy greater than that
created by this BILL" He urged
that a cash grant to England be
substituted for the provisions en-
towering the President to procure
war materials and lease, lend or
otherwise dispose of them to ma
tons whose defense he considered
essential to the defense of the
United States.
Landon spared for several hours
with senators supporting the bill,
and once the whole proceeding
was interrupted by a young man
who stood up among the specta-
tors and shouted:
american young people have
sent me here ...."
He got no farther. Capitol police
collared him and hustled him out
of the room. But meanwhile, doz-
ems of youths at the rear of the
room began making a hullabaloo.
The cops started for them, too,
and ran several of them out. Some
of them said they were members
of the American Youth Congress
now meeting here.
The youngster who started it all
gave his name as Jack McMichael.
He told police he had intended to
read a statement which ended -.
Don't lease and lend our lives
A proposal similar to Landon's
was brought before the house by
Rep. Eaton GRIND who suggest
ed placing a top limit of $4,000
600, 900 on the cost of arms fur
nished to Britain or other nations,
The bill, Eaton commended, i'm
posed too great a responsibility
upon President Roosevelt. Under
his amendment, money would b.
lent outright to Great Britain, sh'
would make her W purchase
and the President, he said, woult
be free to devote himself to press
ing domestic affairs.
In reply, Rep. Richards (D.-SC).
told the house that enough limita
tons had been placed in thebill
especially regarding the leasing
lending or transfer of defense items
already in the hands of the army
and navy, or already appropriated
for.
He referred to an amendment
adopted late yesterday and per
fctd first thing this morning for
bidding the President to send more
than 81, 300, 600, 900 worth of such
cuipment abroad.
Eaton's amendment was rejected
by a teller vote of 1T to 100.
The amendment to keep Ameri
can troops inside the western hem
isphere grew out Of a speech by
silver-haired Rep. Jeanette Ran
kin R.Mont) who as a member o.
the House in 1917 tearfully voted
against the declaration of war
Today she proposed that no Ameri
can armed forces leave this hemi,
sphere. The propaganda of 1911
was rife, she said, and many mem
bers of congress who supported
the declaration of war at that
time did so in the belief the use
of American troops was not to be
involved.
''We were told then," she std
softly, 'that if we voted for wal
that would be all, Germany would
fall. No soldier would cross the
ocean,"
When administration leaders oh.
jected that her amendment would
keep naval and marine corps per.
sonnet within the limits of the
hemisphere, she withdrew it. How
ever, Rep. Van Zandt (R.-Pa) took
the amendment, reduced it to GOV.
er only army troops, and sub
mitted it. The proposal was de-
feated On a voice vote.
Progress was slow. The leaders
OF both sides had hoped for a
final vote by mid-afternoon, but
SO many unexpected amendments
were offered that they were COM
PEELED to revise their estimates.
70 hurry things along, Chairman
Bloom (D.-NYl of the Re.