Evening star., 1941-03-17

After Congress enacted the
British-1id legislation, empoDer-
ing the President to acquire and
lease or lend ,Dar materials to na-
tons 1Ohose defense is Dital to the
safety OF the United States, Pres
ident Roosevelt asked for q
81 900, ,000, 900 appropriation to
implement the program. The re-
quest went to Congress last week
and q House Appropriations Sub
committee, dispensing Dith the
usual protrdcted hearings, quick
ly approved it.
By tie Associated Press.
President Roosevelt's call for the
most urgent all-out national effort
in the lease-lend program lined up
administration forces solidly today
agains'. any attempts to cut the ST.
100000, 900 fund asked to provide the
implements of war for embattled
''democracies."
In the light of Mr.. Roosevelt's
words the huge appropriations bill
represented positive proof that there
woulo be no turning back in the
lease-lend policy. and for that
psychological reason alone support
ers were determined to win the
speediest possible approval for every
penny requested.
Avowed opposition to voting the
full s7,000,0OO,O00 has been lacking
in the House, where debate on the
ct rt
approval expected by Wednesday.
Some Senators, however, have ques-
toned the need for so much money
Immediately.
Nye Seeks Cut by Half.
Senator Nye, Republican, of North
Dakota, commenting on the Presi-
dents Saturday night speech, said
he saw nothing in it to justify the
projected multi-billion-dollar out
lay for arms and supplies. A mem
Der of the Senate Appropriations
Committee which will take up the
bill later this week, Senator Nye
said he would seek to have the ap-
preparations request sliced in half.
Chairman Glass said, however,
that he would fight to defeat any
such effort.
Meanwhile, the great machinery of
the lease-lend program was already
In action. The first shipments of
materiel, as President Roosevelt an
nounced, already were on their way
to Britain. Other consignments were
being prepared for transports. And
the Office of Production Manage
ment opened -two-day conference
with industrialists and labor leaders
here today to perfect methods for
training an adequate supply of work.
ers to meet defense plant needs as
they materialize.
President Roosevelt's Saturday
night speech-one of the most
strongly worded he has ever de-
livered on international affairs
continued to monopolize comment
today, and some passages of it
evoked speculation as to the Chief
Executives future plans.
Seriousness Recognized.
The big points of the address,
however, left no room for specula-
ton. They were bluntly phrased
and underscored with double en-
phasis.
The American people. the Presi-
| dent said, recognize the extreme
seriousness of the present situation"
THAT is why they have demand
ed. and got, policy of unqualified,
immediate, all-out aid to Britain,
Greece, China and for all govern
ments in exile whose homelands are
temporarily occupied by the aggres-
sors.
From now on that aid will be in
creased-and yet again increased
until total victory has been Won"
Mr.. Roosevelt's statement that on
Americas will to work and sacrifice
| depended the survival of the vital
bridge" of boats to transport sup
plies abroad was interpreted by some
as limiting at conveys, but admins
tration supporters doubted that was
| the intention.
One major point of discussion was
Mr.. Roosevelt's statement that the
national effort must not be OBJ
structed by unnecessary strikes, (or)
by short-sighted management"
Higher Taxes Ahead.
Some were inclined to interpret
this as presaging the enunciation of
formal policy to curtail work STOP
pages in vital defense industries.
Others, however. believed it was an
admonition for the future. They
pointed out that the President and
other high defense officials have
consistently minimized the impor-
tance of Acknowledgements disputes
to date.
Another point to receive attention
was Mr.. Roosevelt's words to the
people: "You will have to work long
er at your bench, or your plow or
your machine"
This caused conjecture as to
whether temporary exceptions or
changes in the 4O-hour-week law
might be under consideration. All
recent official statements on this
subject have denied the likelihood
of any changes, but it was noted that
the. President said fatty Saturday
that "the concepts of business as
usual and normally must be for
gotten until the task is finished"
The President also said that every
one would be expected to make sac
rifices until our victory is won
and he mentioned higher taxes as
one of the sacrifices ahead. Tax
boosts, however, have been consid-
cred inevitable for some time, and
discussion centered largely on what
form the other sacrifices would take.