Evening star., 1941-02-03
Thomas Holds
Bill
Is Dictatorship
Engages in Tiff With
Supporter of Aid
To Allies

Norman Thomas national heaG
the Socialist party, last night en-
gagged in a verbal battle with a
representative of the Committee to
Defend America by Aiding the Allies
over the lease-lend bill at the 107th
meeting of the Town Hall of Wash
ington in the Shoreham Hotel.
Mr.. Thomas maintained the bill
would create peace-war dictator
ship and called on Donald G. Blais-
dell, panel member representing the
local Allies Aid Committee, to say
how his organization would provide
assistance without involving this
country in total war.
Mr.. Blaisdell said his organization
was willing to have this country
furnish war materials, including
such parts of the feet as the Pres
ldant felt could be spared.
Mr.. Thomas declared the lease
lend bill lis the greatest surrender
to dictatorship of which I have ever
heard" 1t puts the lives Of men
and the resources Of the country in
the hands of one man, he asserted.
Calls For Guarantees.
He called on Mr. Blaisdell's group
to write specific guarantees into the
bill for the protection Of free speech,
the right of habeas corpus, and free
dom from censorship.
In denouncing the measure and
calling for its defeat, Mr.. Thomas
told an audience of more than 400
persons that if the United States
goes to war there will be an end Of
capitalism as we know it.
However, he added, in view Of the
present situation every effort should
be made to speed up production, and
priority should be given to England
in the matter of ships and planes"
He explained this stand by saying
this country had gotten too far
involved through what he described
as an "ill-timed" foreign policy.
Would Make 1t Plain.
Make it plain that we are not
going to get into this war and
neither are we going to say fight TO
the last drop of blood of your own
sons while all We do is send sup
plies" he said in reply to a ques-
ton on his attitude. toward the
British
England must think us fools for
proposing to do what she has never
done for anybody, he said Of the
powers contained in the lease-lend
| bill. 1T is only in America that we
are asked to initiate Germany" he
said in pointing out that the British
Parliament still calls Prime Minister
| Churchill for explanations
Mr.. Thomas suggested that Con-
gress retain to itself the power to
demand immediate reports from the
President rather than wait as much
as three months for a statement
The speaker described us as Civ
/ ing in a dangerous world, but not
without hope" This is a world Of
age-old feuds and enmities, he
added.
Says Fear Is Exaggerated.
The fear of physical invasion is
exaggerated. Il am persuaded the
major factor in the American at
titude is fear" and this does not
make for good morale, he said
This country is not aiding Eng
land now but the entire British En-
pire, he declared. He cited the guar
antee of Canadian integrity, the Pa
cific concentration of the fleet, the
gold purchasing plan. and the con-
struction of British ships in Amer
ican yards.
He described the gold purchasing
plan as "a disguised subsidy" which
last year almost completely financed
the British war
The lease lend bill means suicide
for democracy" he predicted, as he
pointed out the measures power
could be used through a series Of
acts leading to war.
On Hitler's Interpretation.
How will Chancellor Hitler in
terpret these acts? he asked. The
German leader could interpret them
as acts of belligerency. thus throw
ing this country directly into the
conflict, he continued, and predicted
this would drag Japan into the
struggle
This country then would be faced
with the task of waging war on two
or three continents, in two oceans
and among numerous islands. The
result would be a stalemate, ex-
hauStion or a crash of the western
civilization, he asserted.
Stain probably will pick up the
pieces, and ''he is as bad as Hitler, "
the speaker declared. He charged
the State Department is appeasing
Stain in the belief he will wreck
Hitler's plans. He based this on a
belief there is not perpetual unity
between the two dictators.'
How to Keep Out of War.
I'VE can keep out of war by
making our democracy work. Then
we will have peace and this will be
our contribution to mankind No
might of dictatorS then would be
able to hold down the masses" he
said in his plea for intelligent lead
ership" and the dismissal of those
leading us to totalitarianism.
He inquired whether it was the
administrations aim TO make us
the divine police of the world"
through enactment of the lease-lend
legislation. He declared its pro-
visions gave the President unlimited
power to send armed forces to any
part of the world. -.-
I'VE have blundered into q bad
situation" he said in reply TO
panel question on British aid. He
declared we should speed produc-
ton, give Great Britain priority but
tell her this country does not intend
to be drawn into total war, and
investigate her financial structure.
If aid to Britain is our best
defense, he said, we should have
declared war long before now.