Evening star., 1941-02-09
Start Of Debate
Due Week From
Tomorrow
BY J. A. O'LEARY.

Committee cleared the way to
report out the lease-lend bill late
this week by voting, 10 to S, yes
terday to end hearings Tuesday,
following the appearance Of
Wendell L. Willkie.
After a final round of opposition
George said supporters of the bill
probably would hear Mayor La
Guardia of New York and President
James B. Conant of Harvard Univer-
Sity Tuesday, in addition to the 1910
Republican standard bearer, who Is
en- route from London.
Decision to end the hearings
climaxed a day that began with Alf
M. Landon, the 1886 Republican
nominee, advocating a direct grant
of financial aid to Britain in place
of the administration bill. 1t ended
with Quentin Reynolds, an American
war correspondent. predicting Eng
land will not lose the war but needs
help to insure decisive victory.
Police Eject Youth.
In between, the committee heard
five other witnesses in opposition to
the bill, not counting an impromptu
plea against it by member of the
American Youth Congress, who was
quickly ushered out by police when
he arose from his chair in the audi
ence and called out, American
young people have sent me here"
The youth, Jack McMichael of
Georgia, chairman of the American
Youth Congress, had a prepared
statement, which closed with an
appeal, not to lease or lend our
lives" Capitol police released Nc
Michael after taking him from the
committee room and calling his at
tention to Senate rules. A score of
other young people, who cheered or
applauded the youths brief utter
ance, also were escorted out into the
hall by Capitol police.
Senator Nye, Republican of North
Dakota, said there would be six or
eight opposition witnesses tomorrow,
but he was not ready to announce
their names last night.
Among those who testified against
the bill yesterday were: Mrs. Cecil
Norton Broy, president of Americans
United. Inc; William B. Lloyd, jr.
national director of the Campaign
for World Government, For Peace
and United States of the World;
George H. Cless, jr, of Glenn Falls.
N. Y; Thomas j. Riordan of Hart
ford, Conn, and Andrae B. Nord-
skog of Los Angeles.
Backers Confident of Ma jority.
Those who voted against limiting
the hearings at this time were Sem
ators Johnson of California, Capper
of Kansas, Nye of North Dakota
and Shipstead of Minnesota, Repub-
licans; and Clark. Democrat, of
Missouri. While this was not full
test of opposition strength in the
committee, due to absentees, sup
porterS are confident of majority
to report the measure.
Influential Senate Democrats esti-
mated last night there will not be
more than 25 out of the 96 Senate
votes against final passage of the
bill, but they believe it will take
between two and three weeks to
complete Senate debate Starting
probably week from tomorrow, the
Senate battle will constitute the
major drive of the congressional iso-
lationists to stop or further modify
the bill.
Although Mr. Landon vigorously
opposed the bill as delegating too
much power to the President, he
favored continued aid to Britain and
expressed his conviction that Brit
ish victory is to the advantage, even
though not essential, to the United
States.
If the exhaustion of British dollar
assets for continued purchase of sup
plies is the primary reason for the
bill, Mr.. Landon said, that could
be met quickly by his substitute of
an outright subsidy. He said he
would accept the jurgment of Con-
greSs as to the amount of such aid,
(See HEARING, Page A-3D