Evening star., 1941-02-12
Senators Reject Plan
ToCurb Presidents
Aid Bill Powers
Amendment TO Require
Certificution Before
Transfers Is Beaten
Continued From First Page)


naval escort of conveys.
To require consultation" between
the President and Army and Navy
chiefs before transfer of existing
military equipment could be ordered
by the President.
The amendment reported rejected
was proposal by Senator Vanden-
berg, Republican, of Michigan
which would have required certifica-
ton by the Army chief of staff
and the chief of naval operations
that equipment was not needed fol
American defense forces before ii
could be transferred by the PreSl-
cent to any other nation.
First Vote on Measure.
This amendment gave the COM
mittee its first vote on the bill
Three Democrats were reported TO
have joined six Republicans and
Progressive in support of the
proposal. which generally was con-
sldered an opposition" amendment
Thirteen Democrats voted against
the proposal.
Before the Foreign Relations
Committee met in regular session
Chairman George, proponent of
the bill. called some members into
a strategy meeting. Senator Clark,
Democrat. of Missouri, an opponent
OF the measure, said he had been
invited and had understood that
Democratic committee members
were to meet irrespective of their
views.
Senator Clark said he found Sem
ator White. Republican, of Maine
to be the only Republican in at
tendance Mr.. Clark said he left
when it became apparent to him
that proponents of the measure
were embarrassed" at his presence.
Senator Taft. Republican, of Ohio
presented to the committee a series
of amendments which he said ap-
peared to be critically received" by
some administration members.
Urges Section Nullified.
Senator Taft proposed that the
bill be altered to prohibit naval
escorts of conveys. He also asked
that a section opening American
ports TO repair of belligerent war
ships be nullified and he proposed
to provide that no naval vessels
could be transferred to any other
country unless they were named in
the bill
The bills hackers forecast decisive
committee approval by 2to-1 mar
gin. and said they expected the ap-
proved version of the measure to
incorporate most. if not all, of the
changes made when the House
passed it last week They also said
the notifications suggested by Mr.
Willkie yesterday would be given
careful attention.
AS the final witness for the bill.
the 1910 Republican presidential
nominee gave it emphatic and ag-
greSsive Endorsement, as the only
way to render aid quickly enough"
to embattled Britain. He called for
its passage-With some modifica-
tions he mentioned-by an almost
unanimous vote"
All Aid That Can Be Spared.
The committee chamber. crammed
with spectators who had wedged,
showed and elbowed their way iS,
heard Mr.. Willkie outline the rea-
sons why he was advocating the
measure.
He enumerated Britain'S needs.
He thought helping her was the best
chance of keeping war from the
United States. Her foresaw the
United States embroiled with the
axis powers in "a month or so days"
II Britain falls.
He urged swift enactment of the
bill so that immediate effective aid"
could be rushed to Britain-and by
that. he made clear. he meant
throwing into the breach all the
American equipment that could be
spared.
Destroyer Appeal Surprise.
He was specific about its to
10 destroyers month, all the bomb
ers that the air force could possibly
spare, all the merchant tonnage that
could be released to help maintain
Britain's vital supply lines.
For many. this portion of his testi-
mony packed the biggest surprise
and caused the most comment, for
Mr.. Willkie was armed presumably
with information obtained on the
flying survey of England which he
cut short to return to testify.
The destroyer appeal, particularly,
had not been generally anticipated.
Since the so destroyers were trans
ferred to Britain last year in the
swap for hemisphere bases. the
question of additional transfers has
bobbed up from time to time, only
to be dismissed in official quarters
by the statement that no such sug-
gestlon was being entertained.
Naval circlec were noncommittal
on Mr.. Wilkes advocacy of addi-
tional destroyer transfers. Navy
Secretary Knox declined comment,
but his last word on the subject
January was: Il do not think that
any more destroyerS can be detached
from the fleet without seriously i'm
pairing its efficiency
In non-service quarters there were
two chief schools of opinion. One
held that with the destroyer con-
StructiOn program ahead of Sched-
ule il would be possible to give