The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1941-01-10
Huge Anti Aggression Bill
Goes Before New Congress
ssnete end Mouse Convene
Simultaneously On Defense

Sts0UWonOoOvty On
owAsHNoToN. Jan. lo-R
The Seventy Seventh Con-
gress. barely one week old, con-
vened today to receive the
momentous legislation which
would make the United States .
great arsenal for aid to Britain
and other nations "resisting a.
gression."
The bill, marked for simultan-
eous introduction in both Senate
and House Cat noon E.S.T.),
would give President Roosevelt
virtually q free hand, Il was un.
derstood. in lending or leasing
all sorts Of military supplies and
equipment to Great Britain or
other embattled "democracies."
1.-THE president" one informant
said of the bill, "can do almost
anything he wants"
The great speed with which the
measure was prepared for con-
sideration of the new congress
was looked on as evidence Of ad-
ministration determination TO Sc
cure action on the program with
utmost dispatch.
Mr.. Roosevelt approved the
legislation down to the last
comma in a lengthy conference
with cabinet members and con-
gressional lieutenants late yes
terday. The chief executive was
reported to be quite pleased"
with the bill, which would carry
out his acknowledgements aim
of gliding all nations which the
United States believes are fight
ing aggression.
As outlined by those who have
read It, the measure would:
/. Grant the president sweep
ing powers to sell, lease or lend
American war equipment to ma
tons at war on terms he con-
sidered beneficial to American
defense.
2. Authorize the chief execu-
tive" with the advice of the
secretaries Of war and navy" to
transfer to other countries equip
ment already delivered to Am
erican armed services.
3. Leave to future congress
sional appropriation the sums
needed for the program, with no
limitation on the ultimate
amount which could be spent.
4. Permit the president to
utilize any existing government
tai machinery-such as the Re-
construction finance corporation
or the export-import bank
to handle the transfers of Ameri-
can war materials.
5. Formally proclsim that the
National Defense policy of the
United States necessitates aid
for countries resisting aggres-
sion."
The Washington Post in a
copyrighted article said the bill
proposed empowering the presi-
dent to proceed with defense
operations an o tw outstanding
the provisions of any other law. "
Those who conferred with Mr..
Roosevelt W err e tight Tipped
when they left the White House
at dusk yesterday, but one
highly placed administration
leader! declared that the legisla-
ton lis q blank check both as
far as money and power are con-
cerned."
Another declared that the bill
lis SO broad that the president
can do almost anything he wants
so long as congress puts up the
money"
One informant, saying that
the measure would clothe Mr..
Roosevelt with the broadest
powers since the bank crisis of
the early New Deal, told re-
porters that it differed from
many earlier administration
measures in that congressional
experts had played the major
part in its drafting.
A summation of information
obtained from the various con-
ferees indicted that, if the bill
were enacted, the president
would come to congress from
time to time with requests for
specific appropriations to aid
warning "democracies."
It yves reported that the chief
executive would outline in broad
terms what he planned to do
with the money, and, later,
FUNNY ID