Evening star., 1941-11-08

senator lSOlllSS SpOhe uileCliy W
Mr.. Roosevelt, in these words:
And I say to you. Mr.. President,
even though you sit in the White
House and occupy the most i'm
portant position on the face of the
earth, don't send these men in the
Army and Navy to die unless you are
ready to deal more firmly with these
labor disputes, so that there shall
be no cessation in producing the
things that our Army must have to
win"
The opposition repeatedly and at
length contended that permitting
American vessels to carry cargoes
through submarine-infested waters
to Great Britain could have only
one result-incidents which would
surely lead to war.
Administration supporters replied
that the whole Roosevelt policy was
designed to keep America out of war,
and simultaneously sustain the
right of the Nation to send its ships
wherever it will, regardless OF the
threats of Adolf Hitler.
The basis of their argument was
the contention they have advanced
since the beginning of months of
debate on foreign policy-that the
peace and security of this Nation
depends on the defat of the Nazis
in Europe. To this they added the
statement that the neutrality law,
as it stood, was impeding this coun-
trys policy of helping Hitler's
enemies.
Majority Leader Barkley made
one of the last speeches for the bill,
pointing out that this country has
always stood for the principle of
freedom of the seas. No man can
foretell, he said. whether this coun-
try will become involved in the pres
ent war.
johnson Speaks Against Bill.
Senator Hiram johnson, Repub-
ican, of California, veteran Of the
League of Nations fight after the
last war, now Is years old, made a
last-minute plea against the bill,
contending it presented the issue
of peace or war. He recalled having
heard woodrow Wilson present his
war declaration to Congress "a
years ago, and, in a trembling voice,
declared he felt now as he did then
that taking the Nation into war lis
a terrible thing"
Declare war tonight, and every
man of you who does it will live to
regret it," Senator johnson said.
The dean of the Senate, 77-year-
old Senator Smith, Democrat, of
South Carolina said he would favor
arming merchant ships if they were
kept out of combat areas, but he
waved toward Senator Connally and
Majority Leader Barkley and added:
You say voting for arming ships
and sending them into fighting zones
is not voting for war? What the
devil are you voting for? This is
no time for utter foolishness.
81 would be an infamous fool, as
will every man here who does it, to
say that we can send armed ships
into war zones and expect the Stars
and Stripes to be respected"
After the test vote on the Clark
motion to confine the bill to arm
ing of ships, Senator Taft, Repub-
lican, of Ohio, a leader of the oppo-
sition, issued a statement, declaring
in part:
1T is interesting to note that, in
IA Of ~ UTi11lyin'c
tisan grounds, the % Republicans
divided % to 5 against repeal of
Sections 2 and combat zones and
belligerent ports). When the lease
lend bill was before the Senate, 10
Republicans opposed the adminis-
tration"
On final passage of the bill, how
ever, half an hour later, Senator
White, Republican, OF Maine, who
had opposed abolishing combat
zones and letting ships go to bellig-
erent ports, switched and voted for
the bill with those provisions in it.
This made six Republicans voting
for the bill instead OF five.
Eight Senators Paired.
If all votes had been recorded on
final passage the lineup of the
Senate as whole would have been
81 to Al for the bill, but eight Sena-
tors were paired-four on each side.
One other Senator did not vote and
was not paired.
The first Senate roll call came on
a motion by Senator Thomas, Dem
ocrat, of Oklahoma to arm the
ships and let them 60 to belligerent
ports, but not to pass through COM
bat zones. 1t was beaten, so to 38.
The second vote represented the
major test of strength between the
administrations foreign policy and
isolation. 1t came on the motion of
Senator Clark, Democrat, of Mis-
souri,, to preserve the ban against
American ships going through COM
bat zones or to belligerent ports.
This was rejected, 49 to 38. Counting