The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-04
LEASE-LEND BILL
Is DEFENDED AND
RAPED in HOUSE
(Continued From Page One)

and Halifax had talked of the ex-
hibition of the magma carta at the
New York Worlds fair and of the
procedure to be followed on the
lease-lend bill.
As for how the meeting came
about, he said Halifax called my
office and asked whether he might
come to see me. No man is going
to outdo me in politeness. OF
course I told him he could come
up"
debate on the bill, ending Wednes-
After the three days of general
day, proposed amendments will be
in order.
At that time, opponents are ex-
pected to propose $40 c,00o,0O0 in
loans or credits to Great Britain
as a substitute for the bills gen
eral grant of power for President
Roosevelt to lease, lend or other
wise transfer war materials to ma
tions whose defense he considers
vital to defense of the United
States.
This idea, favored by Fish and
Senator Taft (R-Ohio) among
others, gained the support today
of Senator Wheeler D-Mont),
leader of the senate fight against
the administration bill.
Arranges Conferences
Just back from a visit to Flori-
da to recuperate from an attack
of influenza, Wheeler arranged a
series of conferences with senators
opposing the measure. He said he
believed most would prefer out
right gifts or loans to Britain,
rather than the administration S
legislation.
While the house debated the bill,
the senate foreign relations COM
lnittee heard Norman Thomas, So
cialist leader, and Philit la Fol
lette, former governor of Wiscon-
sin, testify in opposition to t h e
measure.
Thomas declared that enactment
of the bill would lead eventually
to sending American soldiers to
Europe, Asia and oerhap.' Africa.
1T is wholly improbable" he
said, that we will avoid the neces-
sity of sending men. Indeed, this
bill which you are now consider
ing is. baclSd almost s4ually by
those who believe tha1 1t is way
to slide America gradually n o
war and by those who still believe
somehow that it is the way to stop
short of war.
The greatest danger which this
bill increases, not diminishes, is
that we shall find ourselves in to-
tai war. The victory we should then
want-that is to say the elimina-
ton of the power, not c1ly of the
Axis, but of Japan-logically re-
quires troops; troops in Asia,
troops in Europe, troops perhaps
in Africa"
He scoffed at the possibility OF
an Axis invasion of America. de.
claring it would require such an
armada as the world has never
seem"
The United States ohould be
bending its energies, Thomas said,
to preparation to meet economic
problems which he aid were Ger.
tain to follow the war. Predicting
that England, whether or not il
wins, would have to practice new
methods of state trade, Thomas
said the United States great store
of gold probably would become
valueless in international trade. La
Toilette. too, predicted that the
world was facing profound eco
nomic changes. Asserting that the
war would bring a financial revo
lution,' he said I'VE ought to pre-
pare for it now" La Toilette re
lated that Edouard Daladier, for
mer French premier, told him il
1899 that France expected ths
United States to send it aid il
money, materials and men,"
An objection to the cdministra
tion's bill, he said, was that i
would rest in one man the de
cision over peace o. war in thi
country 4