Evening star., 1941-01-30
British Aid
(Continued From First PAGE

Of the committee that this bill will
not give the President the right
to use conveys if he doesn't already
have it, he explained.
Will Seek Right of Way.
Committee leaders will ask the
Rules Committee tomorrow for leg
islative right of way for the meas
ure, Mr.. Bloom said. House leaders
planned to call it up for debate
Monday and they predicted a final
vote by the night of February T.
Speaker Rayburn said he saw no
reason why the House should alter
the bill and he expressed belief all
debate could be completed in five
days.
OF amendments rejected by the
committee this morning, Mr.. Bloom
said two were offered by Representa-
tives Fish, Republican, of New York
and Mundt, Republican, of South
Dakota, each of whom tried to sub
stitute a new British-aid bill based
on outright loans to Great Britain.
Representatives Mundt and Eaton,
Republican, of New Jersey, he re-
ported, each sought to put S2,000,-
100000 ceiling on transactions un-
der the bill.
Representative Vorys, Republican,
Of Ohio. moved to eliminate Sec
ton which would provide that all
money received in payment for de-
fense articles disposed of to an
other country should revert to the
appropriation from which it came.
Representative Chiperfield, Re-
publican, of Illinois, Mr.. Bloom
added, offered the proposal to elm
mate the section relating to pur-
chase of war supplies in any coun-
try which received aid under the
bill.
Authorization for Manufacture.
In its main provisions, the British
aid measure would authorize the
President to have the Army or Navy
manufacture any defense articles for
the government of any nation whose
defense the President considered
vital to the defense of the United
States.
The President would be permitted
to sell, transfer, exchange, lease,
lend or otherwise dispose of such
defense articles to any such govern
ment, consultation with Army and
Navy officials being required before
he could dispose of anything pro-
duced specifically for the United
States.
The phrase defense article" was
defined broadly and would include
any weapons, munitions, aircraft,
boat, machinery, tools and mate
rials.
Favors Declaration of War.
It was under questioning by Sem
etor johnson, Republican, of Cali
fornia that Mr.. Gerard said he
favored a declaration of war against
Germany. But he added that such
a declaration would not actually be
necessary if the President were
given the powers provided in the
British aid measure.
The United States, he said, "al-
ready has committed enough un-
neutral acts to warrant Germany in
declaring war on us. But they don't
do it because they are afraid OF the
effect on their own people"
II think the American people, like
the British, woulud rather die stand
ing and free than kneeling in ap-
peasement before the Nazis," Mr..
Gerard declared.
I'VE are faced by what they call
q blitz war-a lightning war-and
this bill provides a lightning de-
fense. This is no time for parley
and meetings. We can trust our
President with these powers-pow-
ers which he may have to exercise
at a moments notice If the world
and our civilization are to be saved. "
Stimson to Appear Later.
Mr.. Gerard testified at a brief
open session of the Senate COM
nlittee. Secretary of War Stimson
was called to appear at closed
session later in the day to give a
detailed statement on the amount