Evening star., 1941-09-22
Joint Defense
And Lease-Lend
Bi||Proposed
Congress Leaders
See President on
Way to Speed Action
By JOHN c. HENRY.


lease lend and defense deficiency
appropriation requests into a single
piece of legislation exceeding s600o,-
100000. a device which might eXpe-
dite consideration Of both, we're
laid before President Roosevelt by
Capitol Hill advisers at the White
House today.
Called into conference principally
to discuss ways and means OF speed
ing passage of the pending $685.
900 900 lease-lend measure. the con-
gressional group discussed with the
President advisability of adding TO
this a pending deficiency bill for
about Sl00000,000 for Army and
Navy ordnance. 1t IS believed by
legislative advisers that this course
might lead to quicker consideration,
particularly in the House.
Todays conference also took up
the question of speeding passage OF
price-control legislation, now the
subject of hearing in the House
Banking Committee.
House Ma iority Leader McCor-
mack. one Of the conferees, told re-
porters as he left the White House,
hearing on the lease-lend request
would be held in House Approprla-
tions Subcommittee this week and
that with the supplemental defense
appropriation the omnibus bill prob
ably would be reported by the whole
committee by the week after next.
Price Control Termed Vital
Describing the legislation as
"vitally important TO the conSum-
ing public Mr.. Mccormack said
the necessity for early passage OF
the price control measure has been
recognized at the Capitol. Aware
that the question Of farm price
control is one of the most trouble
some involved, the House leader eX-
pressed his personal opinion that
ceiling of 10 per cent above parity
should be imposed on commodlty
prices.
Parity would give farm commod-
tiles the purchasing power equlva-
lent to that which they had IN
base period between 1909 and 1914.
Mr.. Mccormack said there was no
discussion at today's conference OF
revising the Neutrality Act.
Present at today's White House
meeting. in addition to Mr., McCor-
mack, were Vice President Wallace,
Speaker Ravburn, Chairman Con-
nally of the Senate Foreign Rela-
tions Committee. Chairman Cannon
of the House Appropriations Com
mittee, Senator McKeller of the Sem
ate Appropriation Committee and
Chairman W0odrum of the House
Appropriations Subcommittee hand
ling the bill Senate Majority Lead
er Barkley was absent from the city.
The President met with the con-
gressional leaders soon after return
ing to the White House from week
end spent at his Hyde Park N. "
/ home.
In his only other scheduled en-
gagement for the day. the President
was to see Secretary of War Stlm-
son and Gen. George c. Marshall
Army chief of staff. The White
/ House explained that the confer
ence was for routine defense check
/ up purposes and to permit Gen.
] Marshall to report to the President
on Army maneuvers now under way.
Importance of Aid Stressed.
Importance of the pending war;
aid fund and this Government S
program to speed assistance to the
nations now fighting the Axis was
emphasized today in an Associated
/ Press report that two members OF
/ the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee believe that the outcome OF
1 the Russian campaign will deter
mine whether Nazi Germany must
/ sue for full peace within six months
or whether it will be in position to
] wage a long war.
/ Neither legislator would authorize
the publication of his name IN con-
nection with the forecast,
/ One said he had been advised that
/ State Department authorities believe
/ the present German thrusts would
mark the turning point of the war.
The other said his information
was that the Germans were striving
to cut the Red Army to pieces before
winter sets in. If they failed. he
added, they probably would have to
abandon the Russian campaign and
attempt to arrange peace with the
| Soviet and Great Britain.
| This Senator declared Germany
was stalking everything on her cur
rent drive and lis throwing away
men like paper dolls" in order to
achieve her obiectives along the
1,8O0-mile fighting front.
Russia's Fight Called Our Fight.
From Senator Pepper, Democrat,
! of Florida, another member of the
| Foreign Relations Committee, came
a statement that the outcome OF
Russias battle against Germany
probably would determine whether
(See ROOSEVELT, Page Aid