Evening star., 1941-04-06
Foes Have Strength
To Kill Convoy Ban,
Poll Indicates
Presidents Hands Should
Not Be Tied, Opponents
Of Tobey Plan Soy
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
After bitter Senate debate,
compromise amendment to lease
lend bill 1UaS adopted declaring
that nothing in measure could be
construed as givlng President
polUer to order cOnuOyS. 1t gen.
orally tDdS argued, ho1CeUer, that
he has that poUer as commander
In chief OF Army and Nary.
By the Associated Press.
An informal poll indicated yester-
day that administration forces in
the Senate have ample strength to
kill proposals to forbid American
convoy of shipments to Britain.
A ban against conveys has been
proposed by Senator Tobey, Republi-
can, of New Hampshire and is pend
ing before the Senate Foreign Re-
lations Committee. An adminiStra-
ton poll. corroborated in the main
by an Associated Press check,
showed that not more than eight
of the % members Of the Foreign
Relations Committee would support
the proposal.
One administration supporter, ask
Ing not to be quoted by name,
asserted that I'VE probably will Just
smother it to death in the COM
mittee"
That procedure, he said, would
involve voting to delay committee
action indefinitely, thus forestalllRg
Senate consideration.
Some Want Showdown.
Opponents of the Tobey resolution
argue that the Presidents hands
should not be tied. Not all, however,
favor pigeon-holing he resolution
in committee. Some were said to
believe that it might be preferable
to report it without recommended
ton and have a Senate showdown.
This group was reported to argue
that holding the resolution in COM
mittee would only result in repeated
charges in the Senate of suppression.
Senator Wheeler, Democrat of Mon
tana and several others who opposed
the British-aid bill have announced
they would support the Tobey reSo-
luton and would demand a Senate
vote
These Senators said they we're
prepared to discuss the convoy
question daily if the Foreign Re-
lations Committee failed to report
the Tobey resolution.
Administration leaders said they
could count on a tWo-to-one major
ity against the ban If it came to a
vote. But some contended the pro-
posal would involve days of needless
debate and would delay other press
ing measures.
Opposed to Conveys.
Many supporters of the British
aid legislation said during debate on
that measure that they were op-
posed to conveys.
Chairman George of the Foreign
Relations Committee repeatedly has
declared he would not favor conveys
until this Nation had declared war,
and Senator Pepper, Democrat, of
Florida, an ardent advocate of all
aid for Britain, argued that other
methods-such as the transfer OF
war vessels to the British-should
be tried before conveys were con-
sidered.
Senator Gillette, Democrat, Of
Iowa, who opposed the British-aid
program, told reporters that while
he did not favor conveys, he did not
wish to interfere with powers al
ready delegated to the President.
Suggestion Called Absurd.
One informed legislator said last
week that President Roosevelt had
told congressional leaders that sug-
gestions for using the Navy to con-
voy supplies abroad were too abb
surd to talk about" at this time.
At press conference last Tues
day Mr.. Roosevelt was asked
whether consideration was being
given to assuring the arrival of war
supplies in Britain. His reply was
that the matter had been under
consideration for a year and half
and still was.
He answered mo" to an inquiry
Friday as to whether American and
British naval staff officers were dis
cussing the convoy question.