Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-03-12

Dill HAS D6bIl H4dtCIl dllN
and safeguarded by the Senate since
the first vote was taken in the
House, but it is also true that the
main purpose and detectives of the
measure have not been altered in
the slightest What has happened
is manifestation by public opinion
of its desire to have the legislation
passed as a means of defending the
Nation against possible enCrOaCh-
ment by a victorious Nazi govern
ment. This unqueStiOnably i'm
pressed members of the Republican
party, who disliked to be placed in
the position of voting partisanly at
a time of national crisis.
When the bill passed the House,
the Republicans had had little
chance TO hear from the country.
No such extended period for debate
was offered as in the Senate and
members originally followed party
lines in supporting the bill in its
unamended form. During the Sem
ate debate. however, public opinion
indicated it's anxiety about certain
provisions of the bill and some
clarifying and restrictive amend
ments were offered which took away
much of the grounds for opposition.
But at ths same time. the changed
nature OF the bill gave the Re
puhlicans basis for their argument
that the bill had been improved
and that they now could afford to
vote for it.
Tribute to Willkie.
The victory of popular opinion
over partisanShip is one of the most
remarkable in all legislative history,
and it is a tribute to the leader
ship of Wendell Willkie that the
party whose banner he carried in
the last presidential campaign came
through and backed him in his bold
stand behind the measure. Mr.. Will
kie incurred the lasting antagoniSm,
no doubt, of a small number of
isolationists in his party, but the
record vote in the House is sufficient
vindication for what he did.
The future of Mr. Willkie in the
political arena may be uncertain,
but there can be no doubt that he
saw sooner than did the other lead
ers of his party the direction in
which public opinion was moving.
To the credit of the Republicans in
the House. it must be said that they
eventually saw the changing trends
and did not hesitate to answer the
plea that Mr.. Willkie made for
demonstration of unity.
Even those Republicans whose
convictions did not permit them to
vote for the bill on final passage
in the House made it clear that
they now would support the carry
ing out of the policy laid down in
the measure. This means that ap-
preparations necessary to attain the
object of the lease-lend law will
not have much more than a per-
functory opposition.
There is no Understanding the
significance of the overwhelming
vote given in both houses to this
extraordinary piece of legislation.
1t means, so far as the rest of the
world is concerned, that the policies
OF President Roosevelt in interna-
tional affairs have just been given
o substantial vote of confidence and
that America stands united in the
critical battle which democracies are
waging for sef-preservation.
BoIsters Morale.
No vote. unless it we're an outright
declaration of war, could mean more
to the morale of the British and
other nations fighting alongside her
in the present war. In some quar-
tiers abroad the vote will actually
be regarded as the nearest possible
equivalent to a vote for war. But
Americans know that the United
States is not voting for war, but
merely to give the President full
power to defend America should any
foreign power undertake to commit
an act Of war against American
interests
There will be plenty of loose talk
here and there about Americas 60
ing to war now, but even since the
lease-lend bill has become law it
CbIIlO6 NC Sdlu JIldG JIlc dOIHIIllS-
tration is wavering one iota from
its basic effort, which is to steer the
ship of state through troubled
waters without firing a shot.
Aid of a material and military and
naval character will be forthcoming.
America will finance the war prepa-
fations and lend them to Britain
4 -
keep the war further from our
shores. Beyond that, there is no
real desire on the part of our Gov
eminent to become entangled in the
war itself in a physical sense, though
there are, to be sure, many persons
inside and outside the Government
who are freely predicting that
America can't keep out. 1t is i'm
portant to record that the policies