Evening star., 1941-01-31
Measure Is Called
Best Way 10 Aid
Aggressors' Foes
Foreign Affairs Members
Submit 5 500-Word Report
On New Legislation

VT lSeN LeSISiutioH
The teTt OF the majority report
OF the House Foreign Affairs
Committee on the lease-lend bill
tolloDS::
The Committee on Foreign
Affairs, to whom was referred
the bill (H. r. 1776) further to
promote the defense of the
United States by supplying ma
terial aid to those countries
whose defense is vital to the de-
fense of the United States, and
for other purposes, having con-
sidered the same, report favor
ably thereon with amendments
and recommend that the bill as
amended do pass.
The amendments are as fol-
lows:
Page 5, line 2, strike out the
period and insert in leu thereof
comma and the following:
But no defense article not manu-
factured or procured under para
graph Cd shall in any way be
disposed of under this para
graph, except after such consul
tation with the chief of staff OF
the Army or the chief of naval
operations of the Navy, or both.
New Subsection Limits
Powers Until June 80, 1943.
Page 8, after line 18, insert a
new subsection as follows:
(C) Neither the President nor
the head of any department or
agency shall, after June 80, 1943,
exercise any of the powers con-
ferred by or pursuant to subsec-
ton (a), except to carry out
contract or agreement with such
a government made before July
!, 1943.
Page 8, after subsection (c),
insert a new subsection as fol-
lows:
CD Nothing in this act shall be
construed to authorize or to
permit the authorization OF con-
voying vessels by naval vessels
of the United States.
On page 4. line 3, after "sec-
ton 5" insert (a, and on page 4,
after line II, insert a new sub
section (b) as follows:
CB) The President from time
to time, but not less frequently
than once every 80 days, shall
transmit to the Congress a re-
port of operations under this act
except such information as he
deems incompatible with the
public interest to disclose. Re
ports provided for under TINS
subsection shall be transmitted
to the secretary of the Senate
or the clerk of the House OF
Representative, as the case may
be. if the Senate or House OF
Representatives as the case may
be, is not in session.
GENERAL STATEMENT.
This bill was introduced in the
House of Representatives on jan
uarv 10, 1941. Full and extensive
hearings on the bill were held tor
nearly two weeks by your COM
mittee. The committee heard, IN
public session, Secretary OF State
Cordell Hull, Secretary OF the
Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr.;
Secretary of War Henry l.. Stlm-
son, Secretary of the Navy Frank
Knox, the director of the Office OF
production Management, Will
liam S. Knudsen; Ambassador
Joseph p. Kennedy, Norman
Thomas, Hanford MacNider, Col.
Charles A. Lindbergh, Gen. Hugh
S. johnson, DR.. Brook ENEMY,
William R. Castle, the Rev. Ger
aid Smith. John Burke, Benjamin
c. Marsh, William J. Grace, Will
liam c. Dennis, Ambassador Will
liam c. Bullitt, Gen. John r.
O'Ryan, Miss Dorothy Thompson,
Minister to Norway, Mrs. j. Bor-
den Hartman; William Green,
Louis Waldman and Ernest w.
Gibson, ir. Statements were SUBJ
mitted py many others. The
committee also heard, in execu-
tive session, Gen. George G.
Marshall, chief of staff OF the
Army; Admiral Harold r. Stark,
chief of naval operations, and
Gen. George H. Brett, acting
chief of the air corps. Also ap-
pearances were made by members
OF Congress.
From these hearings and the
public discussion and debate on
the bill, it has been clear to your
committee that our national pol
icy is and should be (a) to keep
out of war, and Cb) for our own
national security, to aid Britain
and those other nations whose
defense is vital to the defense of
the United States by supplying
them as quickly and as efficiently
as possible with defense articles
in a manner consistent with our
democratic procedures.
Bill Would Avoid War Rather
Than Involve America.
In the considered opinion OF
your committee the bill, as
amended, squarely meets these
obiectives of our national policy.
1t is the considered view of your
committee, in so far as human
minds can evaluate the situation,
that the probable effect of the
bill will be to keep us out OF war
rather than to get us into it. 1t is
also the Judgment of your COM
mittee that the bill provides the
most efficient way of supplying
all possible material aid to those
countries which are resisting ag-
pression. 1t accompliShes this
objective in a manner which is
best for our national defense and
wholly consistent with the Con-
stitution and international law.
ANALYSIS OF THE BILL.
Section l of the bill contains
the short title, "An Act to Pro-
mote the Defense of the United
States" 1t requires no comment.
Section of the bill contains
the definition of the words de
fense article" and defense in