Evening star., 1941-05-04
Axis Ship Seizure Bill
Likely 10 Precipitate
New Convoy Debate
Measure May Bring Up
Whole Question Of U. S.
Policy Toward War
BY GOULD LINCOLN.


The convoy issue, whether Amer
lean naval vessels shall be used to
safeguard supplies shipped to Brit
ain. is likely to come up in Congress
within the next week. 1t may lead
to a bitter debate on the whole
question Of Americas attitude
toward the European war.
The vehicle for the discussion of
this issue will be the bill authorizing
the President to acquire and use
the foreign ships tied up in Amer
ican ports, which already have been
seized by this Government. This
measure has already been reported
to the House and, under present
plans, will be taken up and passed
either tomorrow or Tuesday.
House leaders said yesterday
there was serious question whether
an anti-convoy amendment would
be in order, even If offered. The
rule for the bills consideration is
an open" rule. Nevertheless, under
the House rules, an amendment
must be germane, and it might be
ruled that such an amendment
lacked that quality. On the other
hand, If it was applied only to the
vessels which the President is to
acquire and use, it might be held
germane and raise the convoy issue
for discussion, debate and vote.
although 1t would be confined to q
narrow list Of ships which may be
turned over to the carrying trade
of Britain.
Tobey to Offer Resolution.
So far no member of the House
has announced he or she would pro-
pose such an amendment. During
the consideration of the lease lend
bill Miss Rankin OF Montana offered
an anti-convoy amendment which
was turned down on the theory that
the bill did not propose the use OF
conveys.
However, when the ship-seizure
bill comes before the Senate, Sena-
tor Tobey, Republican, OF New
Hampshire already has given formal
notice he will offer his anti-convoy
resolution as an amendment. 1t
will be In order there, and he will
not only debate the proposal but will
demand q record vote on it. The
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
last week refused to report out the
Tobey anti-convoy resolution by q
vote of IS to 10.
There is a difference OF opinion
on Capitol Hill as to how many
votes the Tobey amendment will
receive. In one informed quarter it
was said that probably only those
Senators who voted against the
lease-lend bill will support the
amendment. Thirty-one votes were
cast against that bill. In other
quarters, however, the vote for the
anti-convoy amendment was ex-
pected to be much more substantial.
Passage Of Bill Predicted.
Opponents Of an anti-convoy
amendment said yesterday that
Senators might not support the
Tobey amendment. even though they
were opposed at this time to voting
authority for the use of conveys, on
the ground that the ship-seizure bill
had nothing to do with conveys and
should be considered on its own mer-
its. Furthermore, there is a growing
belief that nothing should be done
to tie the hands of the Government
with the situation as serious as it
is today and the possibility that con-
ditions may change rapidly.
The passage OF the ship-seizure
bill was predicted by substantial
in both houses. In the
first place the right of q govern
ment to seize and make use OF for
eign vessels tied up in its ports un-
der emergency conditions has been
recognized many times in the past.
both In this country and In foreign
nations. 1t was done during the
World War. both by countries which
already were belligerents and by
countries which at the time re-
neutral.
Some Amendments Likely.
In the House, it is expected that
amendments will be offered de-
signed particularly to prevent the
turning over Of seized German and
Italian merchant vessels to the
British. Such amendments. it was
said, might receive considerable sup
port. on the theory that such action
would be regarded as anything but
neutral and might precipitate this
country into the conflict.
The supporters of the measure,
however. scof at this contention.
They see in the bill a means of re-
lieving the acute shipping shortage
which has been hampering the de-
livery of American-made war goods
to Great Britain, and regard the
measure and the action contem-
plated under it as perfectly proper.
As reported by the House Mer-
chant Marine Committee, the bill
would an,nouar the prAsidapf tn