Evening star., 1941-01-09

FTSSIueHC (IOOSeDelt So fuT FLOS
outlined only the broad objectiues
of his so-caIled lend lease" plan
for furnishing tCdr supplies to
nations fighting aggression. le1U-
ing the details of legislative au-
thorisdtton to be UOrked out in
conferences lDith congressional
and other Government leaders.
He asked elastic authority to de-
ternline hoW much material be
sent abroad, to be repaid later in
similar or other goods.
BY the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt called Demo-
cratic lea Hrs of the House and
Senate today to a late afternoon
conference on legislation to give him
virtually unlimited authority 10 lcld
and lease war materials to Great
Britain and other nations fighting
the axis powers.
The meeting, it was believed,
might clear the way for introduce
ton of the bill tomorrow. Heading
the list of those asked to attend
were Speaker Rayburn and Senate
Majority Leader Barkley.
On high authority it was said
that the measure as now drawn
neither imposes a top limit on pos
sible lend-lease aid nor sets up
corporation to handle such aid
On the contrary. the bill was said
to make possible future appropria-
tions for the program in any amount
which Congress may vote, and to
delegate to the administration full
responsibility for handling the aid.
Treasury Preparing Budget.
Stephen Early, White House press
secretary, said that a supplemental
budget was being prepared by the
Treasury to list funds needed for the
new program and that until this was
submitted to the White House the
Chief Executive would not present
to Congress any appropriation re-
quests in addition to the s17,500,000,-
900 he asked yesterday for the fiscal
year beginning July l.
Pending introduction of the lease
lend legislation. efforts toward ex-
panding the output of munitions and
increasing the amounts sent abroad
were being stepped up.
One administration official re-
ported that we are working hard"
on plans for releasing airplanes to
Greece and hope to do something
soon He said none had been re-
leased to Greece yet.
ToaI
Robert P. Patterson. Undersec-
retary, said the War Department
had received an excellent response
from industry in its efforts TO in
crease the working time of factories
producing critical defense items, in
Guiding machine tools.
The department Mr.. Patterson
said, has taken active measures"
along this line in cooperation with
William S. Knudsen, defense
production chief. Mr.. Knudsen
recently asked that additional
shifts be put to work and more
workers be trained in key defense
industries.
Senate and House Democratic
leaders went over rough outline OF
the "lease-land" bill at separate con-
ferences yesterday with Secretaries
Morgenthau and Hull and depart
mental legal experts.
Bloom to Offer Bill.
It was learned afterWard that eff
forts we're being made to complete
the bill for simultaneous introduce
ton into both Houses tomorrow.
Chairman Bloom of the Foreign At
fairs Committee will offer it in the
House for reference to his commit
tee. Senate plans on this score were
not indicated.
Speaker Rayburn promised prompt
House action, saying speed is of the
essence"
Administration heutenants at the
Capitol were uncertain whether
both Houses would take up the
measure simultaneously The House
might act first, they said, if the
prospects there were bright for quick
passage.
Reports that the bill would carry
NSIy ubIlS IL any 44AAAAuoIASAA VA oN
thority to be given the President
caused some opponents to cry blank
check" But administration leaders
predicted it would pass.
One leading opponent, Senator
Wheeler, Democrat, of Montana,
said the speech made in North
Carolina Tuesday by William c.
Bullitt, former Ambassador to
France, urging aid to England,
Greece and China showed that the
administration was taking you as
far as they can at this moment.
but they intend to take you farther
later"
Mr.. Bullitts speech. he added,
represented what I've know to be
the views of the inner circle of the
New Deal for a long time"
Senator Wheeler also asserted
that if these countries should
weaken much more and war hys-
terra can be worked up sufficiently,
(See CONGRESS, Page A-4J