Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-04
Senators Seek Limit
On President S Right
To Seize Property
Amendments Considered
Making Power Subject
To Action by Congress
BACKGROUND

htCfCb COftoJttptIOb " W tDubC
property and facilities ,Dns Doted
to President Wilson and War In
duStrieS Board in last World War.
During last year, much OF this
authority has been re-endcted
and placed in hands of President
Roosevelt. On Monday, Congress
received bill from War Depart
ment-dnd reported to bear in
dorSement of President and other
Downtown departments t0hich
Mould Uest Chief Executive 10ith
final and complete reQuiSitioning
potUers.
BY the Associated Press.
A well-supported move developed
In the Senate today to put con-
gressional check on the wide pow
ers asked by President Roosevelt to
reQuisition private property TEN
porarily or permanently" for de-
Tense purposes.
Two influential Senators, who
asked to remain anonymous, said
serious consideration was being CIV
en- by administration leaders to sug-
gestions that the property conflsca-
ton bill drawn by the War Depart
ment be amended to make 1t SIM
ply temporary measure under
which the President could act only
Il nG dHtlnn
bv passage of resolution.
This, these Senators said, would
meet the objection of some critics
who have said that to permit the
President to take over private prop
erty of all kinds for defense uses or
for resale, as proposed in the bill,
would be to give him dictatorlal
powers. The measure was dis
cussed by congressional leaders at
White House conference yesterday
The President made it plain at his
press conference yesterday that one
Of the prime detectives OF the bill
was to make it possible for the
Government to deal summarily with
strikes or lockouts in defense in
dustries.
Power Against Strikes.
Such action would put recalcitrant
labor or management in the position
of striking against the Govern
nent. and Mr.. Roosevelt said some
time ago that this could not be
done.
The -requisitioning legis-
iation, the President said, grew par
tiallv out of the Governments in
ability to act more forcefully to end
the prolonged Allis-Chalmers strike
In Milwaukee.
The bill. he explained, was de-
signed to get the defense goods de-
liyered and 1t was a question OF
arriving at the right language 10
achieve that objective.
In Congress there were many who
remained dubious, If not openly
critical.
Senator Clark, Democrat, of Mis-
souri,, who had opposed admlnistra-
ton foreign policies, said the pro-
posal fulfilled his predictions.
Bears Notation: by Request"
On the House side, the bill-bear-
ing the notation. by request
introduced yesterday by Chairman
Nav of the Military Committee.
IF I don't like EN-. say by re-
quest" May informed reporters.
aft like EN-. I put EN- straight"
Its just dictatorship-raw and
unashamed," he declared.
On the other hand, Senator Byrd,
Democrat, of Virginia said he want
ed to support any legitimate attempt
to end defense strikes, but wondered
If the President alone should have
the power to fix the price of equip
ment or plants.
Telling reporters that speedy &C
ton had been requested on the bill
by the War Department, Chairman
Reynolds said he would ask the
Military Affairs Committee to decide
Friday whether it wished to hold
open hearing on the bill.
Senator Reynolds said that be-
cause of the measures importance,
he believed the committee should
summon War, Navy and Office of
Production Management officials to
testify at public hearings.